OneEighty by Summer
by xthesebonesx
Summary: Set after 3x11- The morning after her birthday,  Caroline reflects about her unlikely hero, and the even more shocking gift that he has left in her hands. Klaus is there, naturally, to make sure that she hasn't forgotten about him, just yet.
1. Chapter 1

**KLAROLINE UNIVERSE! Our prayers have been answered! Seriously, how STOKED were you all to see that amazing scene last night? I can't even begin to describe how loudly I squealed! :D What's next for Klaroline? SOMETHING for sure, based on the pictures I saw! But here's a lil' something to hold you all over 'til next week ;) Enjoy & review, m' loves! :)**

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><p><strong>One-Eighty by Summer<strong>

_"Go on just say it- you need me like a bad habit;_

_One that leaves you defenseless, dependent, and alone,_

_Are you afraid to say what you want to? Tell me you want to"_

_-Taking Back Sunday_

Caroline gazed at the silver bracelet in her hand, and inhaled a sharp breath as her frosty blue eyes gazed at the simple, yet so very complex, words scribbled on the white card before her.

_From Klaus._

She could barely breathe when she thought about all that had transpired since last night: she had a birthday. She had a funeral. She fought with Tyler. She made up with Tyler. She was bitten by Tyler. She nearly died because of Tyler. Klaus saved her life.

_Klaus. Saved. Her. Life._

She shook with rememberance as his smooth words replayed in her head; his voice like velvet against her ears, as she awaited her untimely "death."

This time, she'd really be dead.

Only, she didn't die. Klaus came to her rescue- he was the last one who should have come to save her. She wanted to chalk this up to bitter irony, but she passed. There were no words in the English dictionary that could describe how shocked she was when he walked into her bedroom.

Seriously, what could anyone say?

Caroline gulped softly, and pressed her eyes shut- how could this be happening? How somebody like him- a monster, a villian, a sick individual- care about her measley, eighteen year "life?" How did he even know her "life" was in danger?

And what the fuck was she supposed to do with this goddamn bracelet? How would she explain this to Bonnie, to Elena, to _anyone?_

Caroline quickly retrieved the jewelery box, and set the gift inside of it, because really- what else _could _she do?

Caroline let out a deep exhale, and self-conciously hugged her arms across her body. She felt fine-better than fine- when it came to her physical well-being. Klaus' blood successfully cured Tyler's bite, and she was just so happy not to be in any pain anymore.

But what about her mental well-being?

Just when she thought things were going to be okay with Tyler- just when he told her that he _loved_ her- her "life" did a complete 180, in ten seconds flat.

One half of a makeout later, he almost _killed _her.

Maybe that's what Damon was talking about way back when he warned her about werewolf bites- when he told her not to be Tyler's friend.

_Whatever. It's not like she gave a shit what Damon had to say, anyway. He'd better fix his own drama before he lectured her about anything, she thought._

But now, she wished she had listened to annoyingly-right-but-incredibly-judgemental-Damon. Because if she had, Tyler wouldn't have almost killed her, and the psycho-siring-hybrid-from-hell wouldn't have had to come her rescue. Now, she was hella confused, and undoubtedly nauseous.

But apparently, being nauseous wasn't on the agenda today- she had something more immediate to deal with.

_"I'd like it if you wore that bracelet, love. It cost a fortune."_

Caroline gasped as she nearly jumped out of her bed when she heard his voice- thick with determination, and oozing with confidence. She held her hand onto undead heart as she watched Klaus moving towards her; a gentle smirk on his face, and an intent stare in his eyes.

The air in her bedroom suddenly felt heavy with questions, and anticipation- mostly hers.

"How did you-" she began, and she stopped when Klaus was standing less than two feet away from her, towering next to her bed.

"I've been invited in," he smiled. "Lucky you- you were in need of a hero last night," Klaus noted.

Caroline inhaled a long breath as she gazed into his sea blue eyes. His golden hair resembled the color of honey as the rays of sunlight peeking through her window shone on him in the most godly of ways. His tan shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his strong hands- the hands that lifted her into his arms to feed her his blood- were characteristically placed at his sides.

She so vividly remembered each second she'd spent with him the night before- it almost felt like a dream, the way it was so surreal.

"Why did you save me?" she asked, in a voice that was so quiet, he had to inch in closer towards her to hear her. "And-and why'd you give me this?" she asked, a bit more fiercely, as she held up the box that housed her new bracelet.

Klaus grinned, and assumed his place at the edge of her bed. Caroline instinctly curled her knees to her chest.

Just because he saved her life didn't make him a savior. He was still Klaus, and he was still insane, by a landslide.

"You're still suspicious of me," he noted, as he watched her movement, and she let out an incredulous laugh.

"Can you blame me? You're _Klaus. _You've tried to kill me and my friends!" she suddenly shrieked. "Would you trust _you?_" she asked, with wide eyes.

Klaus stared at her for a moment before he shrugged a shoulder, nonchalantly.

"I suppose not," he answered, as he bit his lip, and looked down at the ground. "But I also suppose you want some answers," Klaus added.

Caroline nodded eagerly. Hell yeah she wanted answers, because truthfully speaking- she had no idea what the fuck happened between last night and this morning that made her feel _okay _about being around _him._

"I just-I don't get it," she replied, feeling the heat swelling in her chest, as Klaus still looked at the ground. "What's your motive?"

Klaus finally looked back up at her, with furrowed brows and pursed lips.

"There is no motive, love."

Caroline scoffed and shook her head, gripping the box so tightly, her knuckles turned a ghostly white.

"I don't believe you. I know you saved my life and all but... I just... I don't trust you. You're... a monster, for lack of a better word," Caroline replied bluntly, and he shrugged again, this time, almost apathetically.

"We're all monsters, Caroline. Don't you forget that," he smiled, and she bit down on her lip. "And about trusting me... I've never asked you, because I don't expect you to," he said softly, and Caroline stared at the hybrid as his blue eyes glimmered.

The intensity in his stare sent shivers down her spine.

"Then what do you expect?" she asked curiously, as he tapped his fingers against his pant leg, anxiously. "Because if you're expecting me to turn against Tyler or my friends-"

"This hasn't a thing to do with Tyler, or the rest of your Scooby-Doo gang," he interjected, and she sealed her lips shut, as she waited for him to continue. "This is about you and I, Caroline. I meant everything that I said to you last night. Surely you remember what we spoke of."

Caroline remained silent, and Klaus slowly turned to face her completely. She didn't know what it was about the look in his eyes, but it made her feel shy- almost embarrassed- for accusing him of having ulterior motives.

Were Klaus' intentions really so pure, afterall?

Caroline's breath got caught in her throat when he inched in even closer-so close that he was now face-to-face with her.

The hairs on her skin rose when he grazed her cheek ever-so-softly with the tips of his fingers.

It was the simplest of touches, but it made her stomach flip, nonetheless.

"Caroline," he whispered, reminding her of how softly he spoke to her the night before, when he convinced her that her life was worth living.

It was that soft voice that he used when he opened up about his own doubts about living, and the same gentleness that told her there was so much more for her to see, to have, and to want.

Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Klaus' words inspired her.

She shut her eyes and tried to breathe evenly, as his hand now traveled down her neck in the most thrilling of ways, and back up her porcelain skin, until he was brushing back her blonde locks.

"Caroline," he repeated, in his gentle whisper, and her eyes reopened to meet his- now he was a centimeter away, and her heart was in danger of bursting. "Put on the bracelet," Klaus said, more as a request rather than an order.

Caroline gulped as she looked down at the box unsurely, as Klaus continued to stroke her skin.

Her mind screamed _no _as she flipped it open and stared at it, while her body became captivated by the simple, yet intricate weaving of the links that glistened with the sunlight.

She felt Klaus' eyes burning through her as she cradled the box in her hands, letting out a soft breath between her lips.

"Help me," she mumbled softly, and Klaus cocked his head, awaiting the rest of her words. "Help me put it on," Caroline finished, as she looked up into his eyes.

Klaus' smile spread to his cheeks, and without a word, he delicately retrieved the bracelet from the box, and held it in his hands. Caroline slowly offered him her wrist, and he gazed at it longingly.

He suddenly put the bracelet on his lap, and a curious look arose to Caroline's face, as she wondered what he was doing. His eyes were fixated on the charm bracelet that was already donned on her wrist.

"Two bracelets may be a little redundant, don't you think?" Klaus asked.

Caroline looked down at the bracelet that Tyler had given her yesterday, just hours before he bit her. The nauseaous wave swept over her again, as she impulsively went to remove it, but Klaus stopped her hand.

She looked into his eyes- he was wearing that signature smirk.

"Please, allow me," he said.

Caroline didn't confirm or deny his request as he quickly snapped the charm bracelet off of her skin, and leaned over to place it on her night table.

When he did, his chest brushed against hers.

Caroline thought she might just have a heart attack, right then and there. Klaus lingered before her, for a second- his mouth dangerously close to hers, as they met in a mutual gaze.

She felt her stomach knot even tighter as he took her hand into his, and ran his thumb across her skin. He slowly, but expertly, enclosed the new bracelet around her wrist, and clasped it silently.

Caroline had never felt so tension in her life- especially when it came to just putting on a new piece of jewelry.

She gazed down at the bracelet, still feeling how close he was to her.

"Thank you," was all she could muster, as Klaus studied her.

"I knew that would look beautiful on you the moment I saw it," he replied, and her cheeks instantly flushed.

He immediately cupped her face with one hand, and Caroline reluctantly looked up into his beautiful, aquatic eyes. She regrettably felt a surge of _something _in her veins.

Something she shouldn't have felt for _him._

"Genuine beauty, Caroline," Klaus spoke softly, as his hand stroked her jawbone. "You are genuinely beautiful."

Caroline felt his fingers trickle to her chin, and slowly lift her face up to meet his. Their noses nearly touched as he spoke, again, in that infamous whisper.

"You may not trust me, or want me, or believe me, now, but you will. Someday you will know that I saved your life not only because you asked me to... but because I couldn't watch you die. Someday, Caroline, you'll look down at that bracelet and remember it not as an ulterior motive, but as a symbol of new beginnings- your new beginning with _me._"

Caroline's eyes followed his, in what felt like a hypnotic gaze, though she was positive that this trance she was in was _purely involuntary._

"How can you be so sure?" she asked, attempting to sound brave, though her voice came out meager, at best.

Klaus flashed her a smile, and brought her in closer- her breathing became even more labored the second she swore she felt the gentle brush of his lips against hers.

He wasn't even kissing her, yet, it was the sexiest of things that he could have done in this very moment.

"Because you can't resist me, love. You won't resist, rather," Klaus informed her, as his mouth traveled to her ear, and his lips touched her skin- she felt electricity running through her veins. "It's only a matter of time."

And with that, he was gone just as quickly as he had appeared, leaving his last words to echo through her head, as the tone of his voice resonated down to her core.

_It was only a matter of time. _

If only someone had gotten her a watch for her birthday.

**I hope you loved the tension ;) Reviewwwwwww!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Seriously... all I can say is WOW! I defffff was not expecting the reaction that I got to this fic, & all I can really say is THANK YOU! The Klaroline universe is stronggggg already! :) Because of you guys, I've decided to at least expand this into a THREE-shot, with this being part two, so there is just a bit more Klaroline for your reading pleasure. ;) The encouragement to continue, the excitement over our ONE scene, added with this one week TVD hiatus was enough to make me reconsider ending it where I did. So here it is- part two of the fic!**

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><p><strong>Monster<strong>

"He's a wolf in disguise, but I can't stop staring in those evil eyes,"

_-_Lady GaGa

"So, it turns out Klaus' hybrid got to my mom and Jamie first, which resulted in me getting kidnapped, Stefan getting shot, and Elena being tied to a post," Bonnie said, as she slammed her locker shut, and Caroline frowned at that. "It's safe to say he's _always _one step ahead of us."

"Yeah, sounds like it," Caroline replied, as she walked beside Bonnie down the hallway of Mystic Falls High School. "But on the bright side... Elena told me Jamie was cute," she added in a chipper tone, and Bonnie let out an incredulous laugh. "Were digits exchanged?"

"Uhm, no, Caroline. He's like a _son _to Abby, and I'm not sure I wanna go there..."

Caroline groaned at that.

"Why not, Bonnie? Jeremy's in freakin' Denver, Colorado. Probably spending time with snowbunnies as we speak. And I want you to be happy," the blonde declared, and Bonnie exhaled a deep breath.

"I do too- I'd like to be happy- but Jamie... he might just turn my already crazy world upside down even more," Bonnie eased, and Caroline sent her a pout. "Speaking of guys who have been turning our world upside down... how are things with you and Tyler?"

_Tyler._

Caroline let out a deep sigh, and shrugged quietly. Bonnie stopped in her tracks, and she watched as the brunette's eyes glowed questioningly, as she awaited her response.

"It's... complicated," Caroline said softly, and Bonnie waited for her to continue. "He wants to be together, and he's doing this thing with my dad to break his siredom, and it's such a good effort but..." she trailed off.

"You don't think he can do it," Bonnie filled in.

Caroline watched Bonnie's eyes, and she finally half-nodded, with a short shrug, as she tucked a blonde curl behind her ear. Bonnie gazed at her sympathetically, and Caroline hugged onto her books even tighter.

Thinking about the fact that Tyler was doing this for _her _was humbling- she knew that he loved her, and she couldn't have asked for a realer way for him to prove it.

But somewhere, in the back of her mind, she doubted him- she doubted that Tyler could turn everyday, at will. She doubted that he'd even _want _to turn, given how painful it was each time he did it. She doubted that he'd be able to do this without feeling terrible about himself- he was still apologizing about almost killing her father. She even began to think that he'd become resentful of her; being sired to Klaus meant feeling no pain.

Being Caroline's boyfriend meant allowing the pain in.

Above all else, she doubted that he'd be able to break the bond that he had already, regrettably, formed with Klaus. Could something that was already so etched into his mind be broken, just like that?

So yes, she doubted him. She doubted him because she knew how hard it was to fight against yourself, and your urges to do something for the greater good of somebody else.

But that wasn't the biggest reason why she had her doubts. Caroline had them because, unbeknownst to anybody else but herself, she was already falling victim to such a bond- a dangerous, menacing, troubling bond- and she wasn't even sired to it.

She thought about the way his sandy blonde hair glistened when the sunlight from her bedroom window shone against it the morning after he saved her life, and asked her to wear the gift he had gotten her.

His eyes- they were an icy, aquatic blue that seemed to look turquoise in the right light, as they raked over her body respectively, while he watched her in her bed.

His full, cherry lips, that always borrowed the shade of "just-bitten;" she'd obsessed about them all day, though with every fleeting thought, she convinced herself she was insane for even finding somebody like Klaus-_a monster, at best- _so aesthetically appealing; so visually commanding-so _damn hot._

Caroline cleared her throat uncomfortably- she felt guilty even thinking about it. If anybody even had any idea that she felt this way, they'd stake her upon sight.

And rightfully so.

Caroline's intimate thoughts only cleared when Bonnie took her hand into her own, and held onto it reassuringly; Caroline cursed herself for forgetting that she was in the middle of a conversation before her mind became clouded with her profound memories of Klaus.

"Care, are you okay?" Bonnie asked, with a troublesome look on her face, and the blonde sighed.

_No. She wasn't "okay," by any means. Everything she'd worked so hard to preserve was falling apart; and while her life was taking a nosedive, a certain hybrid was beginning to work his away into her head. She was losing it._

"Shouldn't I be there, right now? Helping him? I feel like... I don't know, like I'm not doing anything," Caroline said anxiously, and she instantly felt guilty when she thought of Tyler's pain and suffering whilst she was having such a hard time keeping his hybrid master, who was the direct reason for said pain and suffering, out of her thoughts.

Did it make her a hypocrite that she'd left Tyler because of his allegiance to Klaus, yet, she hadn't completely written Klaus off yet?

Yes. It absolutely did.

But did that change the way that she felt?

_No. Not even a pinch._

"Caroline, I'm sure Tyler is going to try to do all that he can do to make sure that he can be around you again without putting you in danger," Bonnie said softly, and Caroline nodded silently in agreement. "But with that said... you don't have to feel like you have this _obligation _to be _with _him. And it's nice; nice, and endearing, and so _Caroline _of you to be there for him... but he can, and will, save himself when, and if, he wants to. _Only if he wants to_."

Caroline exhaled, and bit her lip, as she tapped her foot nervously.

"I just... I don't want him to think that he's doing all of this for nothing," she whispered, and Bonnie nodded.

"He's not, Caroline- he absolutely isn't. But he has to do this for himself- he has to do this for _Tyler._ And you have to remember what you're dealing with; this is a sire bond. He has to break it; and if he can't... don't think for a second that you don't have the right to move on."

Caroline nodded as she pursed her lips, and Bonnie gave her a hug, as the blonde held back what she felt were surefire tears in her eyes.

"I have the right to leave," Caroline said onto her shoulder, and Bonnie nodded as they parted.

Caroline sniffled softly, and Bonnie still held onto her hands long after the embrace ended.

"You do, Care. You know, it's not the ordinary, run-of-the-mill, 'I lost my humanity then got it back, but I'm not sure I can be with you anymore because I want revenge on the guy who ruined me' type of deal. Or the classic 'I kissed my ghost ex-girlfriend because I never got over her' thing that seems to happen in this town _all _the time. This is real stuff," Bonnie joked.

Caroline laughed at that, and the brunette smiled.

"I gotta go to class, now" Bonnie said, and Caroline nodded knowingly. "If you need anything... I'm here."

"I'm gonna head to class, too. Ric's been counting my abscences, like a real teacher or something," Caroline said, and Bonnie laughed. "But thanks, Bonnie. For the clarity... for everything."

Bonnie smiled at her once more, before she spun on her heel and began walking away. She stopped in her tracks and turned back around to face Caroline before she left.

"Nice bling," she commented, with an impressed look on her face. "I didn't see it before- infinity links? And wait, are those _diamonds?_" Bonnie asked, and Caroline quickly looked down at her bracelet-the one that Klaus had given her- and smiled nervously as Bonnie gazed at it.

"Yeah, my... dad. He went all out," Caroline lied, and Bonnie's eyebrow rose as she smirked.

"Not bad," she congratulated. "But now, I have to go. See you later," Bonnie replied as she rushed off.

"Later!" Caroline called after her, and she sighed as she gazed down at the gorgeous bracelet that donned her wrist, and shook her head when she realized just what wearing this bracelet meant.

_Trouble._

She groaned when she also realized she had also forgotten her assignment in her car, and Alaric would kill her if she didn't hand it in on time. Caroline sped outside to the parking lot, and chirped her car open. When she walked up to it, her jaw dropped.

She opened the passenger door, and there sat a bouquet of blood red roses, perfectly wrapped, with a note and all.

Caroline looked around to be sure that nobody else was in the lot- empty.

She opened the letter slowly, and read the words in cursive that were scribbled across the card in that impeccable font that she so quickly recognized.

_Miss me yet, love?_

Caroline heard the sound of the words echoing in her head, as she imagined Klaus speaking them, and her head began to spin.

She had already lied to Bonnie about the bracelet, and now he was finding ways to get into her car to leave her red roses with letters attached to them?

She tore the note in half, and dumped the roses as she made her way back into the building. She was still shaking when she took her seat in Alaric's class, and she opted out of speaking for the rest of the day.

And Caroline had a feeling that this was only the beginning.

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><p>One week later, and nothing else occurred. No notes, no bracelets, and no more flowers.<p>

Caroline felt oddly relieved, but strangely disappointed when she considered the idea that Klaus had already given up on the crush he seemingly had on her.

Was she really that forgettable?

Rather than sitting around and thinking away about the possibilities of why things changed, she accepted this in stride.

_This was "good." _

With Klaus no longer "into" her, she could freely attend group meetings, and not feel guilty when Stefan explored whatever options he had to kill the hybrid.

She was now free to listen to the latest story of how Elena and Damon were treading into weird territory, and Stefan's reaction. She heard about the kiss. She also heard about the punch.

She was now free to help Bonnie practice spells, and taunt her about her obvious crush on that guy she'd just met. She grilled her daily.

She was now free to meet Matt at The Grill while he was on break, to talk about Tyler, and the pros and cons of waiting for him to be "normal" again.

It was on that night of freedom that she realized she wasn't so "free" after all.

"You should probably aim to leave your car in a brighter area of the parking lot, love. We wouldn't want you to get kidnapped," Caroline heard as she fumbled in her purse for her keys, and she froze as his smooth voice carried through her, like an ocean wave.

He was smirking; she could just tell by his tone.

She was just standing there, in the parking lot of The Grill, and it was dark out-about 10 P.M, according to her watch. She was supposed to be be home an hour ago.

Was this her punishment for breaking curfew?

She hadn't seen Klaus since the last encounter in her bedroom the morning after he saved her life, so she really shouldn't have been so surprised that he went as far as to stalk her, all the way here.

"Did you follow me here?" she asked strongly, though she refused to turn around and face him, afraid that he'd be able to detect the fear in her eyes.

It was easier to act tough when she had her back turned to him.

Caroline heard Klaus take another step in closer, and she, in turn, felt the swelling of the heat in her chest immediately rise, as she stood there; palms sweaty, and legs shaky as she awaited his next move.

What was it about him that made her feel so timid in his presence? She refused to take any guesses.

"I wouldn't call it 'following,' that sounds a bit too... juvenile. I was simply curious about you; just wondering if you held up okay, post-werewolf bite-cure. Also wondering if you liked the flowers," he said and Caroline gulped hard.

"I'm fine. The flowers are too," she said shortly, as she attempted to open her car door, but Klaus' fist easily stopped it from budging.

_Why did she even think that would work?_

"Did you have a nice chat with that whiny human boy?" he questioned casually, and Caroline immediately spun around to face him.

He looked even more beautiful than she remembered, as a light scruff covered his cheeks, and his pale skin glowered under the moonlight. She couldn't help but trace her eyes over his biceps, though they were concealed by a long sleeve, forest green shirt, with the first three buttons opened, and the pendant of his necklace hanging just above his discretely exposed chest.

Her heart skipped a beat- she was angry that it did.

"Not only are you _stalking _me, but you're listening to my conversations, too? What is your problem?" she huffed, and Klaus only sent her a sure grin as he moved in even closer.

Caroline's blue eyes intently stared into his own, though she felt like she was a fool for challenging him this way. Whatever; she didn't care- she was Caroline Fucking Forbes.

"Why don't we go for a drive, and I'll tell you all about it," he smiled brightly, and Caroline scoffed.

"Absolutely not."

Klaus cocked his head, and sent her a soft pout that was reminiscent of the ones Damon used to use on her, back when they were "dating."

That only made her angrier.

Caroline's fists balled up, and she inhaled a sharp breath, but his grin didn't waver. He wasn't going to back down.

"I'm growing impatient," he said lowly, and Caroline finally swallowed her pride as she reluctantly handed over the keys.

He grinned at his quick victory.

Klaus walked over to the passenger side, and opened up the door for her. She rolled her eyes before climbing in.

At least he was a gentlemen.

Klaus then got into the driver's side, and started the ignition once he shut his door behind him.

"Time to take you on the ride of your life, sweetheart," he grinned, and Caroline's heart leapt out of her chest.

She prayed that there was _no pun intended._

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><p>"Where are we?" Caroline asked breathlessly, when they pulled up to large mansion in the middle of the woods, and Klaus turned off the car.<p>

He got out, and no more than a half second later, had her door opened for her, as well.

Caroline cautiously stepped out, and crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the car.

She should have just been happy that they got there in one piece.

"Home, Sweet, Home," he grinned, and her eyebrows rose.

"This is your _house?_" she asked, with thinly veiled astonishment dripping from her voice, and Klaus smiled at the way she marveled at the beautiful, yet secluded, estate that stood before them.

"Would you expect anything less from the man who gave you _that _bracelet?" he asked, rhetorically, and Caroline continued to stare at the home, too occupied with it to respond.

It was easily more impressive than the Lockwood Mansion; that was when something dawned on her.

"Are... you trying to outdo Tyler?" she asked bluntly, and Klaus cocked his head, with an untellable smile.

"What makes you believe that, love?"

She impatiently tapped her fingers against the car, still staring into his deep blue eyes.

"The-the bracelet, the house- everything. Especially this weird crush you have on me. It's like... you're trying to replace him," she observed, and the hybrid let out a sure laugh.

"Formidable theory... but no," he said, and Caroline continued to eye him. "But... if Tyler _were _to, say, 'disappear,'" he grinned, "It'd be much easier for me to get what I want," he said slowly.

"Which is?"

Caroline stood there silently, as Klaus turned to face her, and she immediately felt the annoying pounding of her chest beating as rapidly as it could. He smiled- she turned red in the face when she realized he was listening to it, right along with her.

Klaus moved in closer, and placed his palm on her heart, very softly. Caroline struggled to breathe when he did.

Her eyes met his, and she watched as he drummed his fingers slowly across her chest, in perfect sync with every beat.

"You hear that?" he whispered softly, and Caroline nodded reluctantly. "It's not supposed to happen," he said. "But from time to time, love... it does."

She took in a sharp breath, cleared her throat, and forced herself to remember the question she had for him.

"What would be easier for you to get if Tyler were out of the way?" she repeated, and Klaus' eyes squinted as he studied hers.

She instantly felt hypnotized by the way he was looking at her.

"Surely you understand the way that I feel about you, Caroline," Klaus said, and she almost melted with his words; his voice was heavy, but rich- rather than comparing it to velvet like she once had, she'd describe it, now, more like indulging in a heavenly piece of dark chocolate.

_So bad, yet so good._

"That's the part that I don't understand," she replied, and Klaus bit his lip softly, before he brushed his hand against her cheek. "Why me?"

"Why not you?" he asked gently, and she scoffed, as she turned away.

"I don't-I don't have time for this," she rushed, and Klaus grabbed her by the wrists, quickly stopping her in her tracks.

She knew that he was strong, but somehow, she was still surprised by the hold that he had on her.

"Let go of me," she said, through gritted teeth.

"Come inside, and I'll explain everything, darling," he urged, and Caroline shook her head.

"Stand here, and explain it to me, _now._"

He was taken aback by her sudden prowress, but he smiled, nonetheless. This was that "bite" about Caroline, that Tyler so clearly told him about when the Original casually asked him about the people in his life, once.

Tyler divulged everything, unknowingly, and Klaus took notes on only the things he mentioned about his "pretty little girlfriend."

He remembered that Tyler called Caroline "traditional and a romantic" when it came to love- she liked dinners, and flowers, and jewelry. He remembered that Tyler said she had a bit of an attitude, and an endless amount of spunk, even when she was afraid. He remembered that Tyler told him she was one of the most honest people you'd ever meet, but that didn't mean she didn't have her fair share of secrets.

Klaus remembered that when he saw Caroline; _really _saw her, at the wake he threw for Michael in the backyard of the Lockwood Mansion- smiling about, and walking in such a way that oozed "I own the place," he knew that he'd have to devise a plan to take her away from her annoying-screw-up-of-a-boyfriend.

So, he played on Tyler's weakness- his eagerness to serve his master. He told him to bite her, knowing that he'd save her, just to prove a point.

He wanted to prove to Tyler that if he wanted Caroline-_and he did- _that he'd have her; no questions asked.

"Words were never my strong suit," Klaus began, and Caroline's eyebrow rose.

"As if I'm supposed to believe that."

The look in Klaus' eyes was telling her that, yes, she was supposed to believe it.

"Forgive me, Caroline. I've must have forgotten how to properly talk to a woman. You see," he began, "Not many have caught my eye lately. You are the first in a very long time," he confessed.

Caroline felt her defenses wearing down, though she refused to let him know it.

"Tell me what you feel, Klaus. Tell me, and we'll see if I believe it," she challenged.

Klaus' eyes remained on her own, as he stepped in closer. She vowed to stay strong beneath his gaze, though her armour was chipping away.

"What if I just _show _you, Caroline?" he whispered into her ear, and she didn't protest at that.

Caroline continued glaring at him, and he smoothed his hand back over her heart, and she let out an involuntarily gasp; he was a lot better at this game then she was.

Klaus glared at her with curiousity in his eyes, but he didn't say a word.

They just stood there- listening to Caroline's rare heartbeat, sounding off throughout the forest.

He gently dragged his fingers across her chest, and Caroline shuddered when the tips touched her neck; her goosebumps arose the second he traced the skin behind her ear.

Caroline shut her eyes, and she drew in a deep breath as this man began to take control of her, yet again, with just the simplest of touches.

With Tyler, her motto had been "the rougher, the better."

When Tyler touched her, his eyes were heavy with want, and his hands were potent with lust. Having sex with Tyler was nothing she'd consider beautiful, though. It was usually because they were just _that _horny. He was aggressive, and so was she, as they tore each other apart, the only way they knew how.

They'd never made love, and sometimes, that realization bothered her.

When Caroline imagined "making love," she thought about simple caresses that made your head spin. She thought about taking it slow. She thought about progression based off of _need- _rather than carnal, animalistic desires. She thought of purity, though the man before her was the filthiest of them all.

She thought of the way Klaus was making her feel, right now.

He hadn't as so much made any move that could be considered "sexual," yet, she was more turned on than she ever had been, in her entire life.

Everything about who he was and what he meant was just so _forbidden._

Klaus was the monster; the villian, the evil being who'd taken everything away from them, and then some. He'd killed innocent people, and tortured many others. He took a sick thrill in watching others be miserable, and he sought to control anything or anyone that could pose even the softest of threats to him.

And yet, all she could think about was the way he made her hairs stand on end, and her toes curl, as his cool breath danced on the nape of her neck.

Klaus pressed her body more against the car, and Caroline regrettably moaned when he wrapped his arms around her, and placed delicate kisses down the side of her neck.

_This was bad; really bad._

"Klaus- " she began, in weak protest, but he silenced her lips with only one finger pressed to them, and Caroline immediately shut up.

_That was all that it took._

Caroline trembled when his tongue licked the lobe of her ear, and she inhaled a deep breath to steady herself from shaking when his hands found their way beneath her shirt, and skated across her lower back.

Caroline breathed in, and Klaus' mouth easily found his way to hers.

_"Just relax, love," he commanded softly._

Caroline released the tension in her shoulders, and he looked at her longingly.

_What the hell was going on?_

Before she could comprehend the softness in his eyes, or the madness in her head, Klaus pressed his lips against hers. She sighed as a flurry of emotions passed through her. Everything from anxiousness to fear to, dare she think it, _relief._

Kissing Klaus felt warm, as his tongue moved against hers, and she gripped her fingers through his hair. The kiss became even deeper when his hands traveled along her ribs, and she couldn't contain the short breaths escaping from her lips.

"Stop," she breathed quietly against his lips, almost beggingly. "I can't... feel this way."

Klaus' mouth lingered above hers as he spoke. Just the breath from his lips was intoxicating her.

"But you do, Caroline. What's the sense in stopping now?"

Before she could contemplate it, their lips met again, and Caroline raked her nails over the back of his shirt, grasping onto him for dear life. Klaus drew her in tighter by the hips.

Caroline's mind fogged up as their lips met again, and again, and again, each time igniting something new and undiscovered inside of her. The tingling of her skin and, what felt like, electricity running through her veins made her believe her body would be engulfed into a ball of fire, any minute now.

It just felt too good to be true.

_She needed to stop; she couldn't let this happen._

Caroline suddenly pushed him away, and he stared at her hungrily as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I-It's past my curfew," she said quickly, and Klaus' eyebrow shot up in amusement.

That was a lame excuse, if it were any, at all.

She gulped, and made her way over to the driver's side, and flung her door open. Klaus was standing there, by the time she got into the car, still eyeing her intently.

"This isn't over, love," he said gently, as his fingertips brushed her cheek, and she stared up at him silently; her heart ached with each passing moment.

"Goodnight, Klaus," she forced out quietly, and the Original calmly shut her door, the moment she started her car.

She drove off in ten seconds flat.

He smiled at the fact that he could still hear her heartbeat a mile away.

**A/N: All of you who were begging for a kiss in part one FINALLY got your wish. ;) Read & Reviewww!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So, I lied. This isn't the end. LOL.**

* * *

><p><strong>Russian Roulette<strong>

"Say a prayer to yourself, he says _'Close your eyes, sometimes it helps,'_

And then I get a scary thought, that he's here; means he's never lost,

And you can see my heart beating; you can see it through my chest,

That I'm terrified, but I'm not leaving; know that I must pass this test,

_So just pull the trigger, _"

-Rihanna

Caroline inhaled a slow breath as she walked into the dark space, and pulled the door shut behind her. She crossed her hands across her lap, and shook nervously, as she awaited what was to come.

She hadn't been here- or to any place like this- in _years. _And honestly, now that she was a vampire, she should have found the entire idea ridiculous, because quite frankly, it was.

Beings like _her _weren't allowed to be in places like _this. _She almost wished that the myths were true, and she'd burst into flames, any minute now. Caroline clutched onto her necklace, and nervously twirled the pendant on it; a historical symbol that stood for what she once believed in; what she hoped she could _still _believe in, because she had finally come here.

She heard the man on the other side of the grille clear his throat, and she let out a long exhale, as she got down on her knees, and pressed her palms to one another. She closed her eyes tightly, and prayed she'd make it out of this in one piece. She obviously couldn't be honest about _everything, _but she'd try her best.

It was now or never.

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned," Caroline said softly, as she immediately felt her throat dry up with her words. "It has been... _years _since my last confession. I apologize if I'm lousy at this," she admitted.

"Carry on," the priest replied, and she trembled as she fingered the cross around her neck, hoping it'd make her feel brave- make her feel _anything, _besides unresolved fear.

The cross wasn't helping.

"Father, these are my sins," she breathed, before she decided to begin. "I-I've been lying, to everyone, for too long, now. About where I've been, who I've been with... what I've been doing," she said slowly. "And I fear that I'm falling, Father. Falling so hard for a man that I shouldn't want- a man that I shouldn't need," Caroline forced out. "I shouldn't need him because I have them- I have my friends; Elena, Bonnie, and Matt. I have my _boyfriend, _Tyler... But I just can't stop myself from... thinking about this other guy."

"Have you fallen victim to infidelity?" the priest asked, and Caroline inhaled a sharp breath.

"We... we kissed, once, and... I tried, so hard, but I couldn't stop myself from liking it; I'm still _craving _him," she admitted shamefully. "And I know... I know how dangerous this is- not only for myself, but for everyone. He's done so many bad things to the people that I care about, and yet... I can't stay away. He's ruined Tyler's life... but, I'm a hypocrite, because I still feel for him," she hiccupped through her tears.

"These are the mistakes of humans, child."

Caroline scoffed at that; _if he only knew._

She wiped the water that emerged onto her cheeks, and pressed her eyes shut, even tighter as she felt the salty liquid on her lips. She promised herself she wouldn't cry.

She failed.

"I feel... torn, Father. Torn between the person that I am-that they all expect me to be- and the person that I become, when I am with him. And I'm afraid... so very afraid," she added.

"What frightens you the most?" the priest asked, and Caroline tried even harder to fight back her tears.

That was a loaded question, as far as Caroline was concerned, because everything about her situation frightened her.

Klaus' charm frightened her. Her emotional investment to this cruel being frightened her. What would be the fallout if she surrended instilled the most fear, within her. Her bones shook, and her body ached with each passing moment, as she imagined herself succumbing to temptation; succumbing to _him- _to _pure evil._

"The thoughts I have; they frighten me the most," she began softly. "When we kissed, Father, the thoughts that ran through my head... they disgusted me. And the worst is... I've become consumed by them. I'm scared because of who he is- he's destructive, and angry, and dangerous... and I can't help but feel like I am falling in love," she confessed.

"I see," the priest replied softly, and she sniffled.

"I-I don't want to be this bad friend," she said, feeling the tears staining her cheeks. "I don't want to be the one who let everybody down because I couldn't let him go. I want to let him go... I want to go back to the guy I should be with," she said, as she imagined Tyler's face, behind her own eyes. "I-I don't want this man to ruin me," she sobbed.

Caroline felt herself slowly breaking down the more she spoke. Truth be told? She felt awful. Awful for indulging in Klaus, the way she did. Awful for not being there for Tyler when he needed her most. Awful for betraying her friends in such a crappy way. She was batting zero for three, and she cursed herself beneath her own breath when she only just realized she _still _hadn't been engulfed into flames, yet.

"For these, and all of the sins of my past life, Father, I ask for the pardon of God, penance, and absolution, from you," she begged. "Please."

She recited the words she was instructed to say, and she listened to the advice of the priest-which consisted of justified warnings, and a call for Caroline to stay as far away from her suitor as possible- before making a simple cross over her chest, and exiting the church as quickly as she had entered it.

If she were honest, Caroline knew very well that she was beyond repentance. There was nothing she could say or do about the way that she felt for Klaus, and she was silly to believe that one tearful confession could turn her life around.

Coming clean was a joke- a good one, at that- because she'd never felt dirtier in all her life. What she was doing was unforgiveable; she knew it.

God must have thought so, too, when her father died, just a few days later.

Bill Forbes was saved with vampire blood after the bite from Tyler almost took his life, and then mysteriously stabbed by an unknown villian, thus turning him into a vampire. He refused to feed to complete the transition, and Caroline wept as her once judgemental, but now, very human in nature, father died in her arms.

She cried for days, and convinced herself this was the direct result of her bad karma, because of the way she felt for Klaus.

There truly was no rest for the wicked.

* * *

><p>"Where were you?" Caroline demanded, and she crossed her arms over her chest, and stared into the deep brown eyes of the man she swore she once knew, but couldn't figure out at all, these days.<p>

Tyler blinked at her, as he stood in his door frame; his skin, a cool, olive color, and his dark hair matted to his forehead, probably because he just finished working out.

"Hello to you, too," he eased, with a slightly raised brow. "Do you want to come in?" he asked plainly, but Caroline didn't budge.

Instead, her blue eyes seemed to fill with fury, and her jaw clenched as she continued to stare at him.

"Where have you been, Tyler? I've been calling, for days," she said, through her teeth, and the boy ran his tongue over his own mouth, contemplatively.

"I went out of town," he confessed. "I needed to clear my head. H-How's your dad? I... am so sorry that I bit him-" he began, and Caroline cut him off.

"He's dead," she stated, and she watched as Tyler's eyes widened in shock. "They were able to save his life, at the hospital, with vampire blood. But... when he was discharged... somebody stabbed and killed him," Caroline explained bluntly, and Tyler's brow rose.

"Wait, what? Why? Didn't he turn because of the blood?" he asked, and Caroline shook her head.

"He didn't want to be a vampire," she said quietly.

Tyler's jaw dropped, slightly, and his hand reached to her shoulder, but Caroline squirmed away, and he looked at her, curiously.

"Caroline, I-I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to bite him. I turned for _you. _I wanted to break the sire bond, and protect you from me-"

"But did you stab him, Tyler?" she asked bluntly, and Caroline watched as the eyes of the hybrid widened in disbelief.

"What? You're kidding, right? You think I _purposely _killed your Dad?" Tyler asked, and she immediately sensed the defensiveness in his voice. "Why, after everything, would I do that?"

"Because you've been gone, Tyler!" she finally erupted, and he stood there silently, as he listened to her words. "You've been gone, and you never called," she said with a break in her voice. "You didn't care, at all, what happened to him," she accused, and Tyler scoffed.

"It doesn't mean I've been off killing anyone, Caroline! What is wrong with you?" he shot back, and Caroline let out an incredulous laugh.

"Me, Tyler? What's wrong with _me? _ You almost killed my Dad! And you didn't even bother to stick around long enough to explain to me, or anybody else, what happened! You just 'left,' and all these people started getting hurt... and you couldn't find one second out your goddamn day to just pick up the phone," she said painfully.

Tyler watched as the tears fell down her cheeks, and he sighed.

Caroline suddenly felt herself being wrapped into his arms, as she tried to choke back the cry that escaped from her lips.

Her head was pressed to his chest as the water from her eyes dampened his t-shirt, and he hugged her protectively; holding onto her as strongly as he could.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and that only made Caroline cry even more. "I'm sorry I wasn't here," Tyler said.

"I needed you," she said sobbingly, and his guilt immediately rose from the depths of his stomach, causing him to clutch onto her, even tighter.

"I should have been here," Tyler said softly, and she nodded against him, refusing to look into his eyes.

She felt guilty for accusing him, when she knew Tyler wouldn't do anything like this. She felt guilty for making him believe that his sire bond the only reason why she couldn't be with him. She felt guilty for condemning him, because he needed space, and an extra minute to think things through, outside of this inevitably tragic town.

But most importantly, she felt guilty because she never once believed that the man she barely knew, Klaus, was behind the mysterious murders. She'd said it to Elena, yes, but that didn't mean that she meant it.

She felt guilty, because in this moment, as she stood there safely embraced in Tyler's grip, there was undoubtedly somewhere else that she'd rather be, if she had the chance; in Klaus' arms.

"Everything will be okay," Tyler reassured, and she nodded, as she felt herself mentally floating away from words, already preoccupied with her impure thoughts of, who she considered, the devil, himself.

She wanted Klaus- she had to see Klaus. She couldn't; but she wanted to.

* * *

><p>"Is it possible to love someone just as much as you hate them?" Caroline asked, as she sat down in a stool next to Stefan, at the Mystic Grill.<p>

Stefan took back a shot of whiskey, slowly letting his uncharacteristically dark eyes meet hers.

"Sure. Just ask Elena," replied gruffly, before downing another.

* * *

><p>One week since she went to church. One week since she'd seen Tyler.<p>

_An eternity since she'd heard from Klaus._

She told herself this was right; she didn't need to see him, and she'd be better off if she didn't, because relations with the murderous being could be inherently _lethal _if she let herself continue to fall.

She couldn't help it though; she was like a moth drawn to a flame.

Caroline considered her ill-fate when she knelt down, and picked up the card that donned her name, as it lay on her front door step.

She cautiously opened the envelope, and read the contents on the _invitation._

The Original Family was having a ball. An _actual _ball. She'd heard Mommy Klaus was back, and intent on making the family "whole," again.

Caroline didn't believe it for a second.

She did her best to pretend she was actually _shocked _when Elena delievered her the news, that day, later on at The Grill.

In the back of her mind, though, she couldn't get his cursive out of her head, as she was sure Klaus took it upon himself to personally altar the invitiation that had been named for her. Beneath the date, time, and address, was a personal message in that font she'd become so familiar with; how was it possible that she was not only melting at the sound of his voice, but at the mere _sight _of his written word, too?

_Please, tell me you'll make it, love. _

She didn't hesitate for a moment, before she tore the invitation to bits.

* * *

><p>"It's quite rude not to RSVP to a party, you know," Caroline heard, as she lay in her bed the next night.<p>

Her breath got caught in her chest, and she could just feel his _smirk _when he realized that he had surprised her. He was certainly getting better and better at this "sneaking up on her" thing.

"I'm not going," she said roughly, as she evaded his eyes, though she felt his pressing against her.

"Well, that's a shame," Klaus said softly, as he slowly walked over towards the bed, and stopped just before her. "You would have been the most beautiful one there," he added.

She instantly shot up, and sent him a glare that he was sure was an angry one.

"Do you ever _stop _with the flattery?" she asked, in an annoyed tone, and Klaus grinned, as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"I thought that's what gentlemen do," he shrugged. "My apologies if I've offended you."

There was a long silence as Caroline crossed her arms over her chest, being sure to avoid any more eye contact with the hybrid; the last thing she needed was to become hypnotized by those gorgeous blue pools that were so intent on _drowning _her.

"In all seriousness," Klaus began, in a voice that was void of any scheming, "I want to know why you won't attend my family's ball. Esther isn't one to take rejection lightly," he said flatly.

Caroline's eyes shot up to meet his, and she felt the annoying beating of her dead heart increase. This whole "having a heartbeat around the deadliest vampire/werewolf being in the world" was _super inconvinient._

He didn't seem as if he were going to mock and/or seduce her for it today, though, so she figured she could at least answer his inquiry.

"Why _would _I go, Klaus? Huh? I-I don't know your Mom. I don't even know what my friends would think of me if I showed up; if they saw me talking to you-"

"Why do you care what they think? You obviously feel otherwise about me," he interrupted, and Caroline shook her head incredulously.

"You just... you don't understand," she said quietly, and the hybrid furrowed his brows. "I-It's about loyalty, Klaus. And trust. And I am neither loyal or trustworthy the longer that I have anything to do with you," Caroline stated strongly.

There was a bit of quiet, as Caroline watched him nearing her even more. He was still towering over her bed, but mere inches away, as his eyes caught her own, once more.

"The loyalty thing, I can understand," Klaus accepted, as Caroline looked back at him. "I've done my fair of disloyal things in my life, and I've been on the side of betrayal quite often. But the trust thing..." he started, as he took a seat next to her. "Explain it to me, love."

Caroline huffed.

"What's there to explain?" she asked, and Klaus slowly rose his hand to cheek, causing her to inhale sharply.

His fingers grazed her cheek, and she shivered at the motion, as they were in complete silence, save for the sound of her anxious breathing. He smiled lightly.

"You don't trust yourself around me," he declared, instantly figuring her out, and Caroline didn't respond, but she never took her eyes off of his.

Klaus' thumb brushed beneath her chin, and Caroline turned away, avoiding the look of victory that she was sure was on his face.

"Why can't you look at me?" he asked softly, and Caroline shook her head profusely, still escaping his eyes.

"I just-I can't," she said, nearly inadudibly.

He used that as his excuse to move in closer. She felt his cool breath dancing along her skin.

"Why does this frighten you so much?" Klaus asked, in a bare whisper, and Caroline still stared down at her lap, nervously fidgeting with her hands, while his palm still cupped her face.

"Did you kill my Dad?" she suddenly asked, and Klaus' hand instantly dropped her face.

She felt the sudden cold shift in the air- the coldness was radiating from _him._

"I saved your life, Caroline, but you truly believe I'd murder your own Father, a split second later?" he asked, and she sensed the heaviness in his voice. "Why would you think such a thing?"

"Because I don't know what to believe anymore, Klaus!" she suddenly yelled, and the room grew still. "I-I don't know if you're good, if Tyler is bad- if _I'm both?_" she asked, feeling her chest swell with emotion. "Ever since you've saved my life, Klaus, I feel like I don't know what to believe in, anymore. Worse, I feel like I've let everyone down. Because I-" she hesistated, realizing that the next part was going to make her actually admit to him how she really felt- "Because I feel something for you. Something I shouldn't feel. Something that I am trying _so hard _to fight. I-I need to hate you."

Klaus pursed his lips before responding. He didn't want to be the one to cause her so much pain.

"I can leave, Caroline. I can just... go, if my being here causes you so much distress," he said quietly. "But just know that I don't want to. I've been around for thousands of years, love, and if I've learned anything- I've learned patience is a virtue. I will always be waiting. That is something you can count on."

Klaus then slowly stood up, and neared the window that he used as his entrance moments ago. When his fingers touched the pane, she finally spoke again.

"How could you... kill your own parents, and be okay with it?" Caroline asked, and Klaus turned to face her.

Caroline inhaled softly, before finally meeting his eyes. She felt like she was going to explode.

"I was... never okay with it. But I soon realized I'd rather them be dead than feel unloved, the way I did. Mommy and Daddy issues... Surely, you know what that's like," he probed.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat when she realized that she was thinking of her own mother and father's intolerable attitudes towards her, as a vampire, until they learned to accept it.

Bill's acceptance, however, came too late.

"I don't want you to ever feel that way again, Caroline," he added, walking towards her once more, so calmly in her made her melt. "Along with your right to explore this world, and take it in for all the beauty that it's worth... you are extraordinary, and you deserve to be loved, Caroline. You will always deserve to be loved."

Caroline inhaled, almost shakingly, as she looked into his eyes that preached pure honesty, and she nodded softly, though she didn't say a word.

_Caroline Forbes deserved to be loved. Truer words had never been spoken._

She almost jumped out of her thoughts when she looked up again, and realized that the hybrid was standing right before, just as before. He placed his hands gently to her skin, and drew them slowly up her neck, all the way to her face, garnering a soft whimper from her lips.

_Why, better yet-how- was somebody who was so bad, making her feel so good?_

Caroline shut her eyes, as Klaus' fingertips grazed softly against her milky skin, and she soon felt relaxed when he began rubbing slow circles along her tight shoulders. She could feel nothing but bliss as the silence radiated between them; she'd pay for this unsettling happiness with her concious, later.

But for now, she took in steady breaths as Klaus' strong hands commanded not only her body, but her mind, and her soul.

When Caroline reopened her eyes, she felt drunk; dazed by the look in his eyes, and mildly aware that this was much bigger than a few kisses on the lips, and couple stolen glances here and there- Caroline knew that this meant _much _more than she could ever begin to explain.

"Would you still rather if I went?" Klaus asked gently, and Caroline hesitantly, but silently, shook her head.

_No._

She watched as a slow smile formed to his lips-a grin that was genuinely complacent.

_He had gotten his way._

Klaus finally took his place next to her on her bed, and Caroline looked away, suddenly feeling shy and anxious about this all; why didn't she tell him to leave? Why didn't she tell him that it wasn't okay for him to be here? Why didn't she go with her instincts?

_Because she didn't want to. She wanted to stop following the rules. She wanted to stop feeling guilty for having feelings. She wanted to be loved. And after everything that she had been through- she deserved that much._

_Abso-fucking-lutely._

Klaus' hand slowly touched Caroline's, and she watched their fingers join, as his own easily found their place, cupped with hers. She exhaled softly when he pulled her hand to his mouth, and kissed her skin ever-so-softly.

Her eyes were transfixed on those rosy red lips. She couldn't help by feel mesmirized.

Caroline got so caught up in her thoughts, that it barely registered in her head when his lips began to travel- from her hand, to her wrist, to her forearm, all the way up to her bare shoulder, donned with only the strap of her blue tank top.

Her skin felt like it was quite literally on fire as Klaus scooted in closer; planting deeper kisses along her body each time his lips touched her.

Caroline's chest felt hot the moment he kissed the nape of her neck, wrapping his arms around her torso; drawing the blonde in, even closer.

She tightened up, again, and Klaus noticed, as he pulled his lips away, and gazed questioningly into her eyes. Caroline gulped, and clutched her throat nervously.

"Tyler," she said simply, recalling the bite he "accidentally" inflicted her with, that nearly sent her to her death.

The accidental bite, because Klaus himself had once called her "collateral damage."

The words didn't sting the way they did that night, when they apologetically rolled from his lips, but remembering the pain she was in when he said it? That was just all too much to handle.

"Do you not believe in my self-control?" he asked gently, and she let out a nervous laugh, though she didn't verbally reply.

She wasn't only afraid of his self-control; she was _terrified _of her own.

"Trust yourself," he suddenly breathed, seemingly reading her mind. He began running his hands ran down the sides of her shirt, as his blue eyes glowed. "Trust _me. _Baby steps, my dear Caroline."

Caroline slowly nodded, as she felt the faint pressure of his hands touching her skin. He pressed his forehead against her own, and she bit her lip when he smoothed his fingers up her body, and along her ribcage.

She felt herself only falling even harder, as his lips lingered in front of hers- dying her to make a move; to prove to him that she, regrettably, wanted this just as much as he did.

_Maybe even more._

Before she had enough time to overthink it, stop it, or question it, she kissed him- long and hard, as she stifled the gasp escaping from her own surprise-her own _shock, _that she'd actually do this.

Klaus easily accepted her advance, though, as he held her protectively, and reciprocated the feelings that Caroline swore she could never show for somebody so _monstrous._

His hands held onto her face, as their tongues formed against one anothers, and he heard the familiar beating from her chest; she was afraid, he gathered. But she was also excited.

Caroline felt her back land on her comforter as they continued kissing, and Klaus' body slowly moved over hers, as he ran his tongue along her ear. She clutched onto his back tightly, and shivered at the next words to pass his lips.

_"Let me be the one to love you, Caroline."_

She couldn't answer that, right now, especially when he was making her feel so crazy, so vulnerable, so _human. _But she digested his words as she shut her eyes, and his teeth grazed against her skin, teasingly.

Klaus brushed back an unruly blonde curl out of her face, and she drew him in closer as she arched herself; kissing him, over and over, again.

The moment became more heated by the second, as Caroline felt Klaus grab her fistful of her hair, before she wrapped her leg tightly around his torso, drowning in the feeling of, what she was sure was, pure ectasy.

The sighs that escaped her mouth could have embarrassed her on any other day.

But not today; today, she was going to embrace her sins.

Caroline quickly flipped their bodies, and landed on top of him, much to Klaus' surprise. He smirked when he looked into her blue eyes- her eyes that not only wanted him, but the eyes that _needed _him.

"Quite bold of you, love," he noted, never bothering to hide his amusement, "But I'm not done with you, just yet."

In the blink of an eye, Klaus aggressively pushed her onto her back, again, and Caroline felt her hands pinned above her head as his eyes met hers. She exhaled the second he brushed against her lips, and began kissing down her collar bone, all the way down, to her waist. When he resurfaced, she clutched onto his sandy hair, running her nails along his scalp, and garnering a sharp breath from Klaus, himself.

The feeling of her fingers running through his hair-in all it's simplicity-illuminated him. He smiled at that; she finally one-upped him.

He needed to return the favor.

Caroline moaned as his hands traveled up her stomach, slowly removing her shirt, and gently tossing it aside, exposing her black lace bra that looked extremely bold against her perfect skin.

His lips planted kisses along her abdomen, moving lower, and lower, as he slipped a hand into her jeans.

Her heart spiked; his fangs carressed her skin-she'd never felt anything like it. He unbuttoned her pants, and her hands quickly stopped him, and Klaus smirked against her stomach.

"Nervous?" he asked, almost rhetorically, and she scoffed, as if that were the dumbest question in the world. "Never fear, love. I'll only do what you want me to do," Klaus reassured.

Could he tell that she wanted all of this? She wanted all of _him._

Klaus unzipped her jeans, and she didn't stop him this time, as he slid them down, and off of her ankles. The first place his mouth landed was on her thigh, and she shut her eyes tightly, feeling the tingling sensation running up and down her skin, as he teased her so expertly, she became convinced he _invented _it.

She wasn't sure how she managed it, as the blur began to settle over her, but she removed Klaus' shirt, as well. The Original rose an eyebrow at her as she tossed it away, and slowly ran her hands along his biceps, grabbing strongly onto his muscular arms, with such ease.

Klaus' kisses surfaced from her hip bone, all the way up to her chest, and her nails scraped along his bare back, causing deep incisions that quickly healed only moments later.

_They were blessed to be supernatural._

When Klaus sat up, he pulled the girl into his lap, and her lips quickly found his. The kiss they shared could have been compared to an earthquake.

_This just felt so horribly right._

Klaus slowly pulled away, and cupped a hand to Caroline's cheek, stroking his thumb along her jaw.

Her body ached, involuntarily. He placed one more sweet kiss on her lips, before he spoke.

"We can't do this, yet."

Caroline nodded quickly, as the past few minutes sunk in, and she tried her best to ignore the moral code that was blaring in her head. She was in clear violation.

_Did Klaus really just stop what was about to be the World's Hottest Hook-up, ever? Wasn't that her job?_

"Yeah," she said meekly. "Not yet."

Klaus wrapped his arms around her waist, and tilted his head to hers, seemingly studying her, with each passing second.

"Forgive me, Caroline, but it seems my 'being a gentlemen' spiel went out the window the minute I saw you," he apologized. "But I want to wait for a reason, Caroline."

She sat up straighter, still within his hold as she listened, and his fingers drummed softly against her lower back.

"I want to _make love _to you, Caroline. I don't wish to just have sex with you."

Caroline peered into his eyes as he stared right back. He was dead serious. She let out an incredulous laugh, as if it were the most ridiculous idea in the world, although it was probably the most admirable.

"You can only make love once you fall in love, Klaus," she reasoned. "And... how do you know that'll ever be an us?" she asked.

He smoothed back her hair, and pursed his lips.

"I don't want this to be a mere act of passion, or desire," he confessed, before famously placing his palm against her heart. "I want what you feel for me, Caroline, to be in here."

Caroline felt the beating stop as he conveyed the words that she'd always dreamed of, perfectly, in what felt like three seconds flat.

"Okay," she nodded, because really, what else could she say?

Caroline slowly got off of his lap, and pulled on the shirt that he discarded, feeling strangely shy that he was watching her; admiring her curves, her curls, and anything else he set his gaze on.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" she asked, and Klaus' eyebrow rose suspiciously.

"Are you kicking me out?" he asked, and Caroline's eyes widened.

"W-What? No, I just thought-"

"You're sending me out on a Walk of Shame?" he asked sweetly, and Caroline couldn't help but smile at the softness in his eyes. "And now you're laughing-"

Caroline stifled a giggle, and waved her hands defensively.

"I'm-I'm not," she said slowly. "It's just... You're like a _zillion _years old, and you've heard of a Walk of Shame," Caroline grinned, and his jaw dropped, as he stood up.

"A _zillion, _huh? Wow, I thought we said we were going to work on your perception of time?" Klaus said jokingly, and the girl grinned as he neared her.

His eyes never moved from hers as he redressed, and she watched him accordingly. She bit her lip.

_Why did he have to be so hot?_

Klaus now stood in front of her, and she struggled to remember the snappy comeback she was going to say. It didn't help when he placed a hand on her neck, and her breath stopped.

"My perception of time is just... fine," she let out, and Klaus smirked.

"Then you'll have enough time to get yourself a gown, and change your mind about coming to the ball," he reasoned, and before Caroline could protest, he placed a finger to her lips to stop her.

She whimpered gently, as his mouth lingered in front of hers.

"See you at the ball, love," he whispered.

Caroline nodded quickly, and Klaus winked as he neared the window, and disappeared within seconds flat.

_Caroline had a feeling the ball would be the least of her worries._

**A/N: Hey, all! So it's obvious I haven't ended this JUST yet- I'm thinking next chapter will be the last, depending on the inspiration I get from TVD tonight. ;) How did you like Caroline's confession, her convo with Tyler, and the steaminess with Klaus? Let me know what you all thought with a review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So... Thursday's TVD episode... I liked that it was action packed, but the more I think about it, the more PISSED off I get. IDK how many of you care about it, but did we REALLY decide the fate of Bonnie and/or Abby through a coin toss? REALLY? My god. But kudos to our fave blondie- Caroline, b/c she is an amazing friend, as always! And her scene with Klaus? *squeal* It's NOT over. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT. Anyway, this is the 2nd to final part of this fic. I figured I could give you guys a lillll bit more since I took so long to update ;) The title of this chapter is a song called "Black Black Heart" by David Usher. Thanks to Wren Maxwell for suggesting! As you'll notice, I drew some inspiration from episode 3x14-3x15, but I put my own spin on it. Enjoy, loves! :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Black Black Heart<strong>

_"It's bloody torture, you know. Seeing you here, seeing you in that dress... it's absolute torture."_

Caroline let out a long sigh, and bit back the smile that threatened to form on her lips before she spun around and faced him- the blonde haired, blue eyed devil, himself.

His mouth was curved into a smile, and his palm extended to her, as he awaited her acceptance; he prayed for it, even.

She couldn't help but shiver as Klaus' eyes danced up and down her body, that was donned in the blue gown that he had delivered to her house for the evening. The silver beading glitterd beneath the ballroom light, and the sparkle from her bracelet completed the "princess" look, just perfectly.

She gingerly placed her hand into his, and her skin ignited the moment his lips placed a soft kiss on her hand.

Caroline rolled her eyes, though her heart was racing, and Klaus smiled.

"You're dramatic," she noted, and Klaus grinned at her words, never dropping her hand all the while.

"It's cute that you pretend as if there's nothing between us when we're in public," he whispered, and Caroline's eyes almost bugged, as he easily captured her other hand, and they began to waltz to the music. "Now tell me, how long are we going to keep at this game, dear?"

Caroline huffed.

Yeah, sure, she was playing a "game," and she was being all secretive, or whatever, but that didn't mean that she appreciated the fact that he was pointing it out.

_She also didn't appreciate the fact that he was making her heart beat as if she'd just run a fifteen mile marathon._

"First off, you're supposed to _ask me _if I want to dance," she said sharply, and Klaus laughed with an unapologetic shrug. "Secondly... there are _vampires _here. With supernatural hearing. Wanna keep it down a bit?"

Klaus smirked, but didn't reply as they continued waltzing, and she mentally cursed at herself when she realized she was smiling, as well.

_No. She still wasn't accepting the fact that Klaus could make her "smile." She was too smart for this- too smart to be seduced by him._

Even if he was a really good kisser.

She could feel the gentle breathing escaping his lips, and her mind erupted into a flurry when she realized that they were dancing so _close._

His nose touched hers, and Caroline jerked away.

Klaus gripped her hands quickly, and pulled her in, tightly. His eyes penetrated deeply into hers, and she stopped dancing- completely paralyzed by his gaze; taken by his stare.

_Just like that._

If she'd thought that she was doing a good job keeping up with her poker face, she'd surely failed, now.

"You're ravishing," he said softly, and Caroline felt his hands glide down to her waist, and her eyes shut, as she leaned her mouth closer towards his ear.

"You can't get to me that easily," she stated, and he chuckled, as though it were a challenge. "Last night... that... was just random, and definitely a _one _time deal," she informed, as she recalled their ridiculously _hot _make-out session that surely would have led to more if _he _didn't stop it.

Like a fucking gentleman.

She wanted to punch him in the face.

"Easy, love. We both know that I can, and _will _get to you_. _You wouldn't want to cause a scene, now, would you?" Klaus asked smoothly, and Caroline scoffed, but remained silent. "Plus, I don't take you for a 'one time deal' kinda girl, so... _See you soon," _he whispered, before she felt him spin her around, and she landed into Matt's arms.

Caroline coughed to clear her throat, though she was sure her face was flushed, and Matt eyed her curiously as they began their dance.

"What was that about?" he asked bluntly, and Caroline raised an elegant brow.

"What was what?" she asked coyly, and Matt groaned, before he lowered his voice.

"You know what I'm talking about, Caroline," he said through his teeth, aquatic eyes shining with anger. "Klaus? Really? Did he threaten you into escorting him, tonight?"

Caroline exhaled deeply as she gazed across the room, eyes searching for him in the crowd, as Matt rattled off his accusations.

When she saw him, dancing, with another girl, she felt a spike of jealousy rise in the pit of her stomach.

Who the hell was that _bitch, _anyway?

_She denounced whatever murderous ideas she was thinking when she realized Matt was still eyeing her._

"He didn't threaten me," she said shortly, and Matt's brows furrowed. "He was just... being friendly," she decided on.

Matt snorted, and shook his head.

"There is no such thing as Klaus being 'friendly,' Care... if he threatened you, I-"

"He didn't, okay?" she almost shrieked, cutting him off mid-setence. "I just... I came because Elena asked me to. To protect her, just in case. I mean, you think I'd willingly come to the ball with _Klaus?_" she asked, immediately regretting her words.

When did she become such a liar?

Matt sighed, and spun her around, and Caroline gulped slowly- it felt like she was swallowing a golf ball.

"Good," he said. "Because last thing we need to do is get wrapped up in all this Original drama. We're just pawns to them, Caroline. That's all we'll ever be. And there's still Tyler. I know he's a distant memory, and all, going out of town again... but he loves you, Care. You know that. He's doing this because he loves you."

Caroline nodded, though her heart was screaming out- whenever she heard Tyler's name she felt like throwing something.

He'd left her, _again, _and she was dealing with all this pain on her own, _again. _

And she couldn't say she blamed him; he was doing what he had to do to be whole again. Didn't she want that?

_She craved that. She wanted the old Tyler back. She wanted her Tyler back._

But the more she thought about it, the more discouraged she became. Tyler may have loved her, but he always loved his freedom, first. And being with Caroline didn't afford him the opportunity to freely be who he wanted to be.

Was it selfish that she even insisted he change, anyway?

Regardless, she couldn't just _leave _him, when he was doing all that he could to be with her. She had to pull through; she had to save him- she was just so used to saving him.

She felt her heart racing as she watched Klaus disappear from the room, out of the corner of her eye, and she cleared her throat.

_Why did all of her thoughts about Tyler always turn to thoughts about Klaus, and vice versa?_

"I, uhm... need some fresh air," she said softly, and Matt nodded.

"Want me to come?" he asked genuinely, and Caroline feigned a smile.

"It'll be just a second. Go play nice with Rebekah. Keep her from killing Elena," she advised, before she quickly walked off, and out of the house.

She soon found herself in the gorgeous backyard that stretched on for acres; she admired the trees, the flowers, the gazebo, everything, as she wandered down the stone pavement, with only the moon lighting her path.

This was the house that Klaus built, afterall. Did she expect it to be anything less than breathtaking?

Caroline wrapped her silver shawl tightly around her, as the cool Virginia air blew, and she almost let out a sigh of relief when she saw him-standing next to a horse stable, feeding the brown animal, out of the palm of his hand.

She didn't know what made her so "relieved;" she was convinced no more than thirty seconds ago that it was _Tyler, _and it would always be _Tyler._

_But seeing the look in Klaus' eyes at that very moment? It made her heart skip a beat._

He looked so peaceful-so nurturing- in the way that he was handling the large beast, she almost considered watching him from afar, for just a few more minutes.

The careful look on his face reminded her of the look that he had given her the night he saved her life. That very look made it impossible to hate him, but so damn frightening to love him.

She couldn't even _think _about loving him. It'd hurt too much.

"You can come over and say hi, if you want to. He won't bite," Klaus spoke up, and Caroline nearly leapt out of her skin when she realized that he knew she was standing there the entire time. "And neither will I."

Caroline softly cleared her throat, and hesitantly walked closer towards him, eyeing the beautiful horse before her, as well as the beautiful man.

The tension between them was thick- thicker than it ever had been, and it almost scared her when she thought about how epic this felt.

They talked, for what felt like seconds, and yet, he'd made it so damn easy to fall for him, as he spoke about his horse, his father, and things like loyalty, and honesty.

His voice silenced her erratic thoughts.

"How's Tyler?" he asked, and Caroline snorted as she extended her hand to the horse, and touched his nose gently.

"As if you care."

Klaus turned to her, and she felt his blue eyes penetrating her skin seriously, as she awaited his diplomatic response.

"Let's just say I like to stay informed about the competition," he replied, and Caroline sent him a look that resembled a sneer. "He is still my competition, right?"

Caroline inhaled, and looked down at the ground, as she toyed her fingers against the horse's mane.

Honestly? She had no idea how to answer that. She had no idea of the state she and Tyler were in; he was coming and going more frequently that a Greyhound Bus these days.

"Oh, c'mon, Caroline. Lay down your armour, and talk to me, for just a second-"

"I love him," she blurted, and Klaus grew silent at the words, as they echoed between them, and Caroline pursed her lips. "I'm always going to love him," she informed, and Klaus nodded his head at that.

"But are you _in love_?" he asked, and Caroline felt frozen as the words passed his lips. "Because... loving somebody and being _in love _with somebody are contrasting concepts," he informed.

Caroline didn't say a word, and she felt the heat between them rising as he stepped in closer; so close, he nearly invaded her space.

His cool fingers brushed a blonde curl away from her face, and tucked it behind her ear, as her eyes followed his. She shivered at the motion.

_He really needed to stop touching her like this. She couldn't handle the intensity; she believed she'd surely explode._

"If you won't answer that, answer me this," he began, easily bailing her out. "Am I fool for fancying you?" he asked suddenly.

Caroline let a long sigh, and looked up into his eyes that were no longer warm, but now, fully inquisitive.

"You're not a fool," she began, and he rolled his eyes. "I just... don't understand it-I don't understand this, between us," Caroline admitted, and Klaus sent her a bemused glare.

"So, surely what you said to Matt was just you lying, again?" he asked, and her mouth slightly dropped. "The part about you'd never coming to the ball with _me?_"

"You were listening?" she asked, as she folded her arms, and Klaus turned to completely face her.

"Was it not your suggestion that people talk a bit quieter, because there are "vampires around?" he asked.

Caroline felt her face boiling, and she scoffed.

"You don't get to just do that- listen to the things that aren't your business. I just... was saying what I had to," Caroline said defensively, and Klaus remained silent as he turned back towards the horse.

"Fair enough, love. But just so you know, you aren't the only one who knows that they deserve to have it all. The difference between us, though, Caroline, is that you'll never be able to be honest with everybody else about what _you _want, and what _you _feel. You can't even be honest with yourself."

Caroline let out an incredulous laugh, but she digested his words silently, as he began petting the mane of his horse. She was almost chilled by the coldness delivered in his speech.

"I'm... gonna pretend like you didn't just pretty much call me _weak,_ and go back inside. Because unlike you, I like people, and they like me," she spat, as she turned on her heel, and she heard Klaus' dark chuckle follow her up the cobblestone.

"Look at us, both saying things we don't really mean," Klaus muttered, as he listened to the fading sound of her heels, clicking away.

He didn't believe Caroline was weak; he thought she was strong, actually. Much stronger than any other woman that he had ever encountered, in fact. But he wondered- would she ever be able to break down the walls-the barriers- that bound her to this _shallow _"life" she was living?

Would she ever be able to admit what she truly felt, in spite of her friends?

Would he ever get to learn what she really was all about?

Would she ever fall in love, with him?

Klaus sighed, and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his suit, and continued to gaze at his sole prized possession; his horse.

Horses were honest, and loyal; people weren't. Maybe he oughta learn that sooner, rather than later.

* * *

><p>Caroline stormed back into the mansion, and huffed angrily as she headed for the bar, and grabbed a drink.<p>

She'd need about twenty more glasses of champagne before she'd be in the mood to sort out her boy drama.

Ms. Lockwood obviously didn't get the memo, though, as she approached the blonde with a forced smile on her face. Caroline internally groaned-going to stupid town events like these meant _always _being within arms reach of her "boyfriend's" mom.

"Caroline," the woman began, and she did her best to throw on her brightest smile, as she reached forward and hugged the woman awkwardly. "You look stunning," Carol mused, and Caroline sighed.

"Thank you, Ms. Lockwood, you too," she said softly, and the woman's blue eyes studied her intently for a second before she spoke again.

"I... just wanted to see how you were doing, with Tyler gone and all. I... noticed you were with Klaus. His mother, Esther, tells me you were his date?"

Caroline stopped abruptly, and her eyes set on Carol's strongly.

_Seriously? First Matt, now Carol was keeping tabs on her? Was everyone just watching her?_

"I'm... just here to look after Elena," Caroline dismissed, and the woman nodded slowly. "She was a little iffy about coming, but I told her she can't just miss the ball, you know," Caroline said with faked sincerity, and Ms. Lockwood raised both brows, but nodded appreciatively.

"Good to know, Caroline. I... will extend your regards to my son," Carol smiled suspiciously, and Caroline let out a feigned laugh. "He misses you, a lot."

"Please? Thanks," she said through her teeth, and Carol smiled back, before she walked away. "Unbelievable," Caroline mumbled, before she took back her drink in one shot.

The more she thought about Tyler, the more she felt _guilty, guilty, guilty._

She couldn't just do this to Tyler- fall out of love with him, and into the arms of the man who ruined his life. Matt, Ms. Lockwood, Elena, Bonnie, Stefan, Damon- they'd all be constant reminders of how wrong this all was, and she couldn't just brush aside the feelings that so periodically plagued her heart.

She _loved _Tyler- no matter how many ways she sliced it, and her ultimate mission wasn't to fall in love with Klaus; it was to gain Tyler's freedom.

She wasn't enduring Klaus' touches, stares, and charm not because she wanted to- but because she was doing this for Tyler.

_...Or at least that's what she kept telling herself. She kept telling herself Klaus wasn't getting to her, and this was what she had to do to get what she wanted._

She was becoming the worst liar to ever walk the planet.

"Ah, so you're the sheriff's daughter. I've heard a lot about you," Caroline heard.

She spun around, and was met with a set of deep brown eyes, chestnut hair, and a cocky grin to match. "As I'm sure you've heard a lot about me. Kol Mikaelson," he added.

Her visitor immediately extended his hand, and she shook it hesistantly, while he smiled, all the while. Caroline had seen him earlier, walking around the party like he owned the joint, and she internally rolled her eyes at that.

What were the chances that Klaus' little brother was an egotistical prick?

"Confident, I see," she answered, and Kol sent her an obvious wink, just before he grabbed a drink of his own.

"It's easy when you've got a reason. Where's my brother, by the way? I can't imagine he let someone so stunning out of his sight," Kol began, and Caroline halted him immediately.

"Ah, no, stop. Won't work on me. Just a fair warning," she replied, and he laughed, before taking a long sip of his drink.

"My charm isn't working? You must really fancy my brother then. That's... admirable, I suppose. He could use a good, honest, woman. Lord knows the _last _one messed him up pretty badly," Kol said plainly.

She wanted to protest that- the part about her really "fancying" Klaus, but she remained quiet. She had no rebuttal, though she knew she should have.

Caroline's eyes darted to his, and he instantly knew she was waiting for him reveal more. Kol didn't budge, though. She gingerly cleared her throat, before she spoke again.

"Katherine?" she asked, recalling the little history lesson that Elena had given her some time back on Klaus' obsession with the Petrova line, and Kol let out an incredulous laugh.

"No, not quite... Though, she was quite the distraction," Kol recalled, and Caroline's eyes widened. "Care to follow me somewhere, Miss Forbes?" he asked abruptly, and Caroline slowly nodded, as she easily trailed behind the young Original, out of the ballroom.

What she walked into astounded her far beyond any words could describe.

Caroline stood in awe as she gazed at the paintings on the wall in the room, and Kol stood beside her, taking in all the vibrant colors, as well.

Blues, greens, reds, oranges; Caroline saw it all, in each carefully painted landscape.

_Genuine beauty._

"What is all of this?" she asked in a small voice, suddenly feeling choked up and overwhelmed by the gorgeous aesthetics around her. "Did... he draw these?" she asked, picking a few sketches from the table, and examining the fine detail in the pictures.

They were some of the best she'd ever seen.

"I'll leave you to figure that out," Kol said with a smirk, and before Caroline could protest, she was standing there alone, taking in all of this perfection.

She didn't even realize it when a half hour had gone by, and she was still staring at the same things- uncontested, and unrivaled beauty.

She heard quiet footsteps approaching, and Caroline spun around to face him; the one who always found her.

"I surely thought you would have left by now. I didn't know that the cheerleading captain, and Miss Mystic Falls would have any interest in the arts," Klaus said, unbuttoning his cufflinks, as he walked into the quiet room. Caroline remained in her position, still eyeing the massive paintings that hung from the walls.

She turned to face him, and his eyes were a soft, but hypnotic blue. She looked away quickly; she didn't need to fall any further right now, when she had important things to say.

"First off... are you calling me shallow? Second... are you kicking me out?" she asked slyly, and she watched as Klaus' eyes lit up in rememberence. "Besides, I like art. It's... nice," she informed, and Klaus rose a brow as he stood next to her, and gazed at the pieces on the wall. "Did you draw all of these?"

"Some of them," he answered. "Stole the rest, thanks to those pesky museum guards in Paris not taking their daily doses of vervain. Paris... Rome, Tokyo... I can take you there, one day," he offered, and Caroline rolled her eyes at that. Klaus cleared his throat, and changed the subject. "How did you... come across this anyway?" he asked, and she placed her hands on her hips.

"Your brother, Kol, led me here. Nice guy. He said something about me needing to 'figure it out,'" she revealed, and Klaus rose a suspicious brow.

"Kol was... nice?" he asked, and Caroline snorted.

"Kidding, he's a total asshole," she replied bluntly, and she watched as a slow smirk took to his lips as she pursed back her own. "But he was right. We do need to... figure _this _out. But I have something to say, before we do. It's important," she declared.

Klaus crossed his arms, and Caroline let out a deep breath.

"Go on, then," he urged, and the tiny blonde stared at him intently.

"You think that I'm too weak to admit what I want," she stated.

"No," he replied. "In fact, I don't believe you're weak at all. I... actually think you're strong. And capable, and beautiful-" he started, and she held up her hand to stop him.

"I can tell you exactly what I want. Right here, and right now," Caroline challenged, and Klaus listened intently, and she exhaled a long sigh. "And what I want... is for you to let Tyler go."

There was a long silence between them, as Klaus looked down, and then back up into her demanding eyes.

_Tyler._

The very reason why Klaus was so able to get to Caroline in the first place; because of his lack of self-discipline, and self-control. Klaus had gotten as far as he did with the blonde because he saved her life after Tyler unwillingly endangered it.

Klaus knew that Tyler was an area for concern; the sooner he broke the sire bond, and could return to Caroline, the charade was up- no matter how he felt about it.

And it pissed him off. He knew he had no right to be upset; Caroline wasn't "his" to begin with, and he surely didn't get his foot in the door fair and square. But now that he had a chance- a real chance- would he be so foolish to give it up?

The hybrid cracked his knuckles, and slowly ran his tongue over his teeth before he spoke.

"I can't do that for you, Caroline," he finally said, in a low tone, and she let out a short laugh as she shook her head.

"Of course you 'can't,' why would you? Why would you do the right thing and give Tyler his life back?" Caroline asked rhetorically, and Klaus shoved his hands into his pockets.

"His life, as in _you? _" Klaus questioned, and Caroline remained quiet. "Why would I ever want to do that?"

"Because if you actually cared about me, then you'd care about him too."

Klaus stood there, chest swelling with rage, but he kept a quiet cool.

"I can't do it, Caroline. I care about you, and I am far too invested to make that foolish of a mistake," he spat, and she rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure you want me and not just _companionship?_" she asked suddenly, and Klaus' brows furrowed. "I mean... you buy things, you buy horses, you buy people- you _sire _people, like Tyler, because you can't be alone. Are you sure that _that _isn't what this is about? Kol said that-"

"What did Kol say?" Klaus suddenly asked through his teeth, and Caroline watched the anger growing in his eyes.

She didn't flinch. Instead, she stood taller.

"Kol... said you got your heart broken," she answered, and he let out a sarcastic laugh, but he didn't answer. "Is this how you do things?"

Klaus stroked his chin, then looked up at her.

"Pardon me?"

"Is this how you do things?" she repeated, more fiercely. "You-you don't just 'win,' fair and square. You lie, and steal, and manipulate things, and people, just to get your way. And you don't care... you don't care, one bit."

Klaus bit his lip softly, and inhaled a deep breath.

"Caroline, love..."

Caroline blinked slowly, and she felt the touch of his hands rested on the small of her back, as he continued looking at her, seemingly begging for her forgiveness.

_Forgiveness for being a selfish, sadistic, manipulative being who wanted nothing more than her- no matter who stood in his way._

When she didn't budge, his fingertips traveled up to her cheek, and slowly drew circles on her skin, in that breathtakingly perfect way that he always did. She felt the air from his lips caressing against hers as she closed her eyes, and breathed for a second.

His lips slowly touched her neck, and Caroline felt herself melting with every heartbeat pounding in her chest. His mouth was slowly traveling up to her ear, as he held onto her, even tighter, and she fought to catch her breath.

"Stop me if you desire," he whispered, and Caroline breathed shakily.

To his surprise, she pulled away from him; before he could erupt anything else inside of her.

Klaus looked at her curiously, and watched as she unlatched the bracelet from her wrist, and dropped it into his palm.

"Darling..."

"You can't just be sorry about what you've done. And you can't charm me into choosing you if you've taken away my other option," she said strongly. "You have to prove it," she stated, and Klaus remained silent.

"Caroline, Klaus... the toast is about to begin. Join us in the ballroom?" they heard, and the both spun around to see the blonde woman with brown eyes, staring between the both of them, with an amused look on her face.

"Surely, mother," Klaus said softly, and Caroline nodded politely, as the woman walked out and left them standing there. "You don't have to come... just to appease my mother," he said, and Caroline noticed the sudden hurt in his eyes.

"I'll... stay for the toast," she replied, and he silently complied, as they exited the room, returning to the main party.

The air between them had suddenly shifted, from a hopeful one, to a dismal one, as they didn't say another word to each other for the rest of the night.

It made her heart ache, and her mind spin, but she breathed it in, and accepted it. This is what had to be done- she'd known it all along.

And no matter what she did, she'd be hurting somebody, at the end of it all.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So I would like to thank you all, SO MUCH, for following this story, and leaving me with yo**ur wonderful feedback about my writing. Seriously- you're all AMAZING, & now that this fic is ending, I can't wait to get started on another one :) I hope you all enjoy this final chapter as much as I loved writing it. Thanks again for the support!****

**Shiver**

"So, I look in your direction, but you pay me no attention, do you?

I know you don't listen to me, ' cause you say you see straight through me, don't you?"

-Coldplay

Caroline let out a long sigh as she wandered quietly into her bedroom, setting her car keys on her dresser, as she kicked the door shut behind her.

It had been a _long _night, and the ball at the Mikaelson mansion proved to be nothing short of eventful, to put it lightly.

Damon almost killed Kol, in a fit of rage, Elena rejected the blue-eyed vampire's declaration of love, and Caroline, herself, asked Klaus to "unsire" Tyler.

She knew that between her tricky situation with Klaus, and her puzzling one with Tyler, tonight would be a defining one- she'd have to make a choice; and so she did.

She could only hope it was the right one.

Caroline pulled off her shawl, and gasped unexpectedly when she saw a familiar package lying in the middle of her bed, tied with an all-too-reminescent bow, in an equally striking rectangular box.

_Klaus struck again._

"Seriously?" she muttered, as she began to untie the ribbon, letting out a tired sigh as she did.

_How did he even get to her house before she did?_

She didn't have much time to wonder, though, as she opened his latest offering, and a feeling of shock overwhelmed her.

It wasn't a bracelet, but a picture- a drawing, specifically, of her, with his horse. Caroline bit her lip gently, and read the words etched at the bottom of the crisp paper; she almost choked on her own breath.

_Thank you for your honesty._

She scoffed in disbelief, and gripped the sheet even tighter; Klaus was _thanking _her for insulting him? Was he crazy?

Caroline quickly walked over to her garbage pail, as she crumbled the drawing into a tight ball. She couldn't do this- she wouldn't let him to this to _her. _

It had to end today- she desperately needed to stop what she so secretly wanted.

But instead, she stopped herself, as she dangled the paper ball over the trash, and breathed slowly. The picture was beautiful, and reminder of his humanity- the humanity that she had so luckily witnessed when she gazed at the art in his home, for what felt like hours.

She wanted to forget him, but for some reason, she held onto the fact that he could be human; _he was human, once._

Caroline uncrumbled the drawing, and quickly smoothed it out, to the best of her ability, against her desk, and she stared at it once more.

_He'd captured her so beautifully. She regretfully had to admit that he knew her well; he knew her so very well._

She opened the top drawer, and placed the picture in it quietly, before shutting it closed, and banishing him from her thoughts, again.

_"You can't, Caroline," she muttered, as she kicked off her heels. "You won't."_

* * *

><p>"We have a plan to kill Klaus," Elena said, when Caroline opened her front door, and she immediately felt her heart leap out of her chest and her eyes widen, as the brunette moved past her, with Bonnie trailing behind her.<p>

Caroline slowly closed the front door as she tried to process the words that escaped from Elena's lips, and fell onto her ears. Her throat suddenly felt dry, and she cleared it quickly, as she followed them to her bedroom to discuss Elena's latest "plan."

"Come again?" she asked, in a tight, yet nonchalant voice, as Bonnie unpacked her grimoire and a bag of herbs on her bed, and Elena quickly paced the floor, tucking a strand of her long brown locks behind her ear, every so often.

"We're going to kill Klaus," she repeated, and her eyes finally met Caroline's curious ones. "We're gonna kill all of them. Tonight."

Caroline involuntarily gulped, and crossed her arms, uncomfortably across her chest.

"H-How?" she stuttered, and Elena sighed.

"Esther, Klaus' mom. She... put a spell on the Originals last night at the ball, with my blood, linking them altogether, as one. Meaning that if one goes down..."

"They all go down," Caroline filled in, and Elena shrugged quietly.

_Holy shit._

Caroline immediately felt overwhelmed by the wave of unhappiness that seared through her as she realized that come tonight, Klaus would be gone, forever.

She cracked her knuckles nervously, and cleared her throat once more, before Elena spoke again.

"I just- I feel guilty-" Elena began, and Bonnie waved her index finger.

"Elena, stop," the witch instructed. "You said this was what you wanted; this was what you needed to feel like you were in control of your life, again. You said you wanted Klaus gone- and Esther is going to do just that," Bonnie said, and Elena sighed, as she stuffed her hands into her pockets.

Caroline watched the exchange, and quickly noticed the subtlety is Elena's words- _she wasn't one hundred percent sold on her _own _plan. _

Typical Elena.

Caroline barely listened to the debate between her best friends, as the consequences of Esther's plan to kill her own children drilled deeply into her head.

_Klaus was going to die._

She clutched a hand to her heart, when she felt the unfamiliar beating of it, and quickly nodded as Bonnie asked her to leave the room, to test out the validity of a burnt sage spell that Elena had witnessed the Original Witch perform last night.

Once out of the room, she pressed her back against the door, and slowly hyperventilated as the sound of their voices were drowned out by her shallow breathing, and quiet whimpering.

"I don't care about him," she whispered to herself, though images of his face flashed through her mind, and her guilt began to overtake her. "He has to die... I-I'll get Tyler back," she stuttered softly, as she twirled her necklace between her fingers.

She was shaking, but she wouldn't falter- they had a plan, and as much as she wasn't admitting to how much she cared about Klaus, she would stick with the plan.

Their lives were at stake if she didn't; and unfortunately for him, her friends mattered more.

End of story.

Caroline fumbled with the door knob as she reentered the room, bursting in on the chat between Elena and Bonnie that had inevitably turned into gossip about Damon, and guilt-ridden feelings about Elijah.

She knew what she had to do.

"Elena, you're not doing this- Esther is," she reassured, with sweaty palms. _Caroline, you're not doing this- Esther is, she repeated to herself, in her head. _"We have to do what we have to do," she said in a strong tone, though her knees felt like jelly.

She'd have to let him die, to preserve her dignity, her friendships, and her love that still belonged to Tyler.

Caroline excused herself, once more, as she felt like there were pins and needles sticking through her veins, and a heaviness settling over her heart. When she shut the bathroom door behind her, she sucked in a huge breath of air.

"For Tyler," she said shakily. "You're gonna be okay," she added, in a faux chipper tone, though she felt broken beyond repair.

It was in that moment that she realized just how far gone she really was, as she gazed at herself in the mirror, taking in the face of the biggest liar that she knew.

_She was losing him too soon. This was going to break her._

* * *

><p>"I'm in need of your services, Barbie," Caroline heard, the minute she answered her phone, and she let out a long sigh before she cleared her throat.<p>

"Hello to you too, Damon," she said, with a bit of a bite to her voice, as she paced her bedroom, awaiting just what the sadistic blue-eyed vampire had in mind.

Damon was, without a doubt, the master of deception, and the King of Ulterior Motives. And when he had a plan, you were either all in, or all out.

_There was no such thing as "kind of being on board."_

She'd decided, over the past few hours, to be all in. She couldn't let them down. She couldn't betray them any more than she already had.

"No time for chit-chat," he said sharply. "I need you to do me a favor."

Caroline inhaled a deep breath, and placed a hand on her hip.

"I'm going to assume you forgot to add 'please' and 'thank you,' by accident, and hear you out, just this once," she snapped, garnering a heavy but short chuckle from him on the other line. "What do you need?"

Whatever he wanted couldn't be _that _bad, right?

"I need you to distract your lover boy, Klaus, while we dagger Kol, and stop Mama Original from doing whatever the hell it is she's got planned to off her children. You think you can handle that?"

_Her heart stopped. _

"W-What? Damon, I thought we were killing them-letting Esther kill them- what happened?" she asked nervously, and he let out a deep exhale.

"Elijah is holding Elena, as ransom, in return for us stopping the spell from happening. He somehow found out about the entire thing, and is threatening to let Rebekah kill her if we don't find a way to stop Esther."

"And he's okay with daggering Kol?" she asked.

"Well, no," Damon said uneasily, and Caroline's brow rose. "He wants us to kill Bonnie and Abby, to stop her from channeling them," Damon revealed, and Caroline gasped as her heart sunk to her stomach. "But we're not doing that... unless this fails. Which is why I need you, Caroline. I need you to go to the Grill and do some of that fancy eyelash batting you do, and distract Klaus for a bit, so that Ric can get his twerp of a brother alone long enough to stake him. Kol goes down, they all go down- and no witchy juju spell from Mommy Mikaelson. For now."

Caroline gulped as her mind raced, and she tried to piece it all together.

"And what about Bonnie? Damon, you're not gonna touch Bonnie, right?" she asked, and there was an uncomfortable silence on the line before he eventually spoke.

"Hopefully it won't get to that point," he said softly, and she felt tears immediately filling her eyes. "You have to pull this off, Caroline. You have to do whatever it takes- for Elena, and for Bonnie. Show no mercy."

Caroline wiped her eyes quickly, and nodded.

_She would do whatever it takes; no matter what._

"I'll be there," she said gently, and Damon sighed with satisfaction.

"Hurry, Blondie. And make it believable. We all know the Big Bad Hybrid has a crush on you, of all people. Use that to your advantage."

Caroline heard Damon hang up, and she dreadfully walked over to her desk to grab her car keys- she had to get to the Grill immediately.

Before she could leave, though, she reached into the drawer, and pulled out the wrinkled paper that donned his drawing, and slowly ran her fingers, once more, over the message that he'd written.

_Thank you for your honesty._

She pursed her lips and quickly shoved it away; she had no more time for what-if's, and her guilty concious.

She wasn't Elena-she'd readily lie through her teeth.

_She kept telling herself that honesty was overrated, anyway._

She prayed that one day, she'd actually believe it.

* * *

><p>"So you're gonna walk away, just like that, when we have so much more to talk about?" Klaus asked, and Caroline stopped in her tracks, and inhaled slowly before she turned around to face him.<p>

His blue eyes glistened perfectly beneath the full moon, and his blonde hair glimmered brightly, as well. He was wearing a silly, but hopeful, smirk on his face, and she was putting on the best act of apathy that she had ever delivered, in her entire life.

She followed Damon's plan; she went to the Grill, she caught Klaus's eye, and she lured him away from his brother, in an effort to distract him from what was coming next.

Caroline wore the tightest black top she owned, and the sexiest heels she could find, and her heart fluttered as he eyed her longingly, and attempted to charm her, quickly, in an effort to shut his patronizing little brother up.

She brushed him off, as usual, and now, here they were- outside, and out of the aim of Kol's eyes. All she had to do was continue to play with him- continue to be the mouse while he played the cat, and hope that it lasted long enough before he got suspicious.

"I'm not mad anymore, about last night," he added, in a gentle tone, as he walked up to her slowly. "I-I understand why you said what you did."

Caroline spun around to face him, ready to swear that it didn't matter anymore, until she saw the genuine sincerity in his eyes.

It almost caught her off guard just how truthful he looked- just how honest his words seemed to be.

"I'm sorry, love. I-I'm regretful that I hurt you," Klaus said gently, almost shamefully. "But... why don't you just... get to know me? Get to see that I'm not all that you think I am."

Caroline scoffed, and folded her arms over her chest as he sat down on the bench, still gazing at her with sweet determination in his eyes.

"And what will that do, Klaus? What will getting to know you prove?" she asked snarkily, and he smiled bashfully as he looked down at the ground.

"If... you get to know me, Caroline, you'll see that I'm not selfish, I just... genuinely fancy you," he admitted, and her heart stopped. "And if you're still unconvinced about the way that you feel about me... I will unsire him, love. No strings attached, no questions asked."

Caroline felt her eyes narrow and her chest tighten, as she gazed at him, but he didn't budge; he was completely serious.

"You would do that, for me," she stated gently, and he shrugged shyly as he looked up at her; his crystal eyes shining beautifully against the night.

"All you have to do is give me a chance- as much of a chance as you're giving him, to change."

Caroline inhaled deeply, and she fought back the frantic thoughts that captured her mind as she finally took a seat next to him, feeling her fingers tremble as she sat within inches of the hybrid.

He immediately scooted closer, and she crossed her arms over her chest, to hide the fact that she was shivering with nervousness, and shaking with fear.

She was about to break his heart, she knew it.

_She only knew that because she was quite honestly breaking her own, in the process. She was manipulating him, and she felt awful about it._

"Besides, art... what are you into?" she asked lightly, and Klaus smiled warmly as her blue eyes met his in a longing stare- she felt the heat of a thousand suns rising in her bones with each passing second.

"Music," he answered immediately. "I love it all- every era, every decade- the sounds just... fascinate me. And books- I enjoy a good one, every so often."

Caroline couldn't help but melt with his words as he spoke, though she was still shaking with nervousness as she listened.

_It was only a matter of time before he found out why she was here, "getting to know him," and he'd be gone. None of this-none of these moments- mattered, anymore. _

"What's your favorite book?" she asked curiously- both as a time-staller, and out of genuine interest.

Klaus stroked his chin, and her eyes outlined every hair on his face, as she became enamored by the small details that made him so fucking attractive.

Her stomach was in knots, just by how good he looked in that jacket.

"I doubt you've ever heard of it," he replied, and Caroline scoffed at that.

"Try me," she challenged, and Klaus cleared his throat. "I'm a lot smarter than I look."

Klaus grinned.

"A Room with a View, by-"

"E.M Forster," she filled in, and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Is that _seriously _your favorite book?"

"Sure, why not? Who doesn't love a story about a woman realizing that she is free to fall in love with whomever she chooses, even if society may deem that man-"

"All wrong for her?" she filled in, and Klaus shrugged with a smile. "It was so self-destructive-"

"But worth it. Absolutely worth it," he said in a low tone, as he bit his lip, sending shockwaves up her spine. "The main character, Lucy, was strong. She reminds me of you, to be quite honest."

Caroline ran her fingers through her hair, as she held back a smile.

_Here he was, again, tugging at her heartstrings._

"I'll have to... reread that one," she noted, and he laughed softly. "See how I feel about your theory."

"Fair enough," Klaus replied simply. "And just for the record... I can tell you're intelligent just by looking at you."

Her eyes shot up to meet his, and her breathing stopped as she gazed into those perfect eyes.

_Focus, Caroline, she thought, as she struggled to keep her composure, though she knew she was failing. Her heart was racing, her hands were clammy, and her mouth was dry, as she sat there beside him._

She suddenly felt like the worst person in the entire world for what she was about to do.

Caroline uncharacteristically placed a hand to his cheek and Klaus immediately turned to face her, with a look of surprise on his face, though he didn't say a word. Her thumb stroked just beneath his chin, drawing him in closer towards her, as the silence radiated between them- the silence said everything that she couldn't.

Klaus shut his eyes, and she took in a final breath as she pressed her forehead to his, and she listened to the ever-so-apparent beating of _his _heart, for a change.

She struggled not to frown as she placed a hand to it; she struggled not to care.

"You've changed your mind about giving me a chance," he stated lowly, and Caroline massaged her hand over his chest gently, before she spoke.

"Something like that."

Their lips crashed hesitantly, but strongly, as she fought to hold onto everything that he was-everything that he could be- if he had the chance to not only be hers, but the chance to live. There was no doubt in her mind that Esther would find another way to kill him. No doubt, whatsoever.

So, for now, she would kiss him.

The sweet taste of his mouth against hers made her feel drunk; drunk off of the feeling that this was it- she'd never kiss him again, feel him again, or see him again, after he realized this was all a part of the plan.

_Or at least that's what she kept telling herself._

She was kissing him because she had to occupy him; she was feeling for him, because she had to make it believable.

She was forming her lips harder, longer, and stronger against his because she was desperate to save her friends; not because she'd been dying to feel this way about someone, all her life.

Caroline's hands gripped his face as she nearly climbed on top of his lap, and Klaus kissed her back just as urgently, lapping up each movement of her tongue, indulging in each moment of blatant, carnal desire.

She kissed him so hungrily and so feverishly, he pulled away, more than once, just to catch his breath.

She pushed even harder.

Caroline's hands roughly ripped his jacket off, and he finally stopped her, with every ounce of resistance he had left.

_He barely made it._

"Why are you doing this?" he asked inquisitively, as his fingers brushed through her curls. "Is everything okay, love?"

Caroline looked back at him, and wanted to break- everything wasn't okay; she wanted to tell him the truth.

But she couldn't.

"I want you, Klaus," she said bluntly. "I-I'm sick of waiting," she said strongly, and he watched as she stood to her feet, and ran her fingers through her hair. "Let's... go somewhere," she said, and she watched as his eyes ran all along her body.

The curiousity and the want in his eyes left her feeling perplexed.

It also made her nauseous; the nagging sense of dishonesty was cutting through her like a knife. But she had to be heartless- even if she didn't want to be.

"If you wish, Caroline-but I've got to tell Kol I'm leaving-"

"He'll be fine," she cut in, with big blue eyes. "Trust me."

Klaus looked at her skeptically, but she didn't waver as she placed both hands on her hips, and continued eyeing him strongly. Klaus finally stood up, and she immediately grabbed his hand, in an effort to take him away- the quicker she did this, the better.

As she attempted to pull Klaus away, she suddenly felt him jerk at her hand, completely stopping her in her tracks. She looked into his eyes, that had immediately went stone cold, and she instantly knew something was wrong.

"Klaus?" she asked gently, and he narrowed his eyes, while she gazed at him questioningly.

"Do you take me for some type of a fool, Caroline?"

She stood frozen as his glare became angrier, and she internally cursed herself as she realized what was going on.

_He knew._

"I-I don't think you're a fool," she said, as she watched him place a slow hand to his heart, as he processed the slight feeling of pain that winced through his chest, as she was sure that Damon was taking Kol out, as planned. "I'm... I'm so sorry. I never wanted this but... they're my friends," she began, and Klaus cut her off.

"Where is my brother?"

"I-I don't know-"

"Tell me, Caroline! Where is he?" he suddenly yelled, as he placed his palms on her shoulders, and grabbed her aggressively.

"I don't know!" she screamed back, and Klaus studied the slow forming of tears in her eyes, as he let her go.

He was seething- she could practically feel the heat radiating off of him.

"You told me to trust you," was all he muttered through his teeth, as he backed off, and quickly ran back into the direction of the Grill, to find his brother.

Caroline cupped both hands to her mouth and held in a sob as she watched him disappear. Whether he died or not, she knew she'd never see him again. In her mind, she never doubted that she deserved that.

* * *

><p>"My brother hates you, you know," Rebekah said bluntly, as she leaned against the countertop at the Grill, and Caroline quietly sipped her drink, though her face felt hot. "You should know that he'll never speak to you, ever again."<p>

Caroline inhaled a deep breath, and looked up into Rebekah's bright blue eyes-she was smirking as well. Caroline wasn't surprised; she knew Rebekah disliked her, all along. This only added fuel to the fire.

"I know," Caroline replied simply, and Rebekah crossed her arms.

"Fantastic. I wouldn't want you thinking you had another shot at this, or something. Nick always did have such a poor taste in women- I'm glad he's finally figured you out."

Caroline swallowed hard, and her eyes felt as though they were reddening, but she fought the feeling back. Instead, she stood up to meet Rebekah, and placed a hand on her hip, watching the amusement in Rebekah's eyes grow.

She was looking for a fight.

"What happened between me and your brother isn't any of your business. And I know that you have some sick obsession with him, and you're jealous because him liking anyone means that less attention will be spent on you, but please do me a favor and _get over it. _If he has something to say to me, he doesn't need you to say it for him."

Rebekah let out a short incredulous laugh as she ran her tongue over her teeth, and cocked her head.

"You're messing with the wrong one, little girl-"

"And somehow, I'm perfectly fine with that," Caroline shot back. "So, what are you gonna do, Rebekah? Trap _me _in a cave with some gasoline, and light a match? Is that really the best you got?"

Before Rebekah could say another word, Klaus appeared at his sister's side, and placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

Caroline's heart jumped when she saw him, but it slowly sunk as he completely evaded her eyes.

"Rebekah; home, _now_," he ordered, and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine, Nick," she relented, as she looked Caroline straight in the face. "I'll leave you to handle the untrustworthy _bitch _all by yourself," his sister huffed, as she turned on her heel and stomped away, as angrily as ever.

Caroline stood there for an awkward moment, just staring at him, and he quickly cleared his throat, as he placed his hands in his pockets.

_The Untrustworthy Bitch: had he really called her that?_

She decided she didn't want to know. She'd just thank him for coming to her rescue, now.

"Thanks," she said in a tiny voice. "For stopping your sister from whatever it is she had planned."

Klaus's jaw ticked before he looked into her sullen eyes, and he responded.

"I didn't do it for you. Goodbye, Caroline."

Caroline felt something inside of her crumble as he walked away, and she stood there silently, taking it all in, as the man who once vowed to make her feel loved was making it clear that he had nothing left but hatred, for her.

She'd never knew she could feel so much pain.

* * *

><p>"I have good news," Tyler said, and Caroline waited patiently to hear the next step of his progress, as she pressed her cell phone to her ear, and listened to his quick breathing on the other end of the phone call.<p>

It'd been two months since she'd seen him; two months since he set out to "fix himself," by turning at will, and she'd been enduring these daily phone calls quite elegantly, though it was getting harder and harder to remember what she truly felt for him.

He was slowly became just another voice over the telephone that she'd surely survive without, and most days, she wondered if this was still worth it- if she was still worth all the trouble Tyler was putting himself through.

"I'm coming home," he said excitedly. "The bond is broken, Caroline," he added, and she almost dropped her cell phone.

"Wait, what?" she stuttered. "You-You've turned enough?"

There was a bit of silence on the other end before he replied.

"Not quite. I, uh, saw Klaus. He... found me, here, and he did something. Klaus set me free."

_Klaus set him free._

The words echoed all throughout her mind as she tried to place a firm mental grasp on them, only failing each time she'd thought she'd figured it out. Why would Klaus "set Tyler free," after so long- after all that she had done to him?

"How did he..." she trailed off, and Tyler sighed.

"He... compelled me to stop giving a shit about him, his cause, and our 'bond.' He said I no longer had to take orders from him, and he told me that from now on, everything I do must be from my own free-will. He told me to believe that I owe him nothing."

Caroline gulped as she digested his words- no loop holes in sight.

"D-Did he say why?" she asked cautiously, and Tyler laughed. "And how do we know this actually works, Tyler?"

"Babe, he's Klaus- he doesn't need a reason why. As for it 'actually working'... I feel different, Care. But good different- I feel like I am in control of myself, again. And, I mean, if we want proof that compulsions trump sire bonds, I saw firsthand that it does. His father compelled all those hybrids at that party he threw at my house to turn against him. It was as easy as that."

_As easy as that for him, but not for her. _

Caroline didn't respond, and there was a long silence between them, when Tyler finally cleared his throat.

"Care-"

"I-I can't do this, Tyler," she suddenly blurted, and an uncomfortable wave of quiet settled over the other line. "I think it's great that you're finally free, but..."

"It's too little, too late," he filled in, flatly, and she sighed; there was no sound of surprise in voice. "Did you... meet somebody else?"

Caroline didn't respond, as she twirled a blonde lock with her finger, and shut her eyes.

"It wasn't that easy," was all she could get out, before he let out a bitter laugh. "And I feel horrible, Tyler. I feel like the worst person in the world because you don't deserve this- to be cheated on, and lied to... you don't deserve half of my heart."

She listened as Tyler sucked his teeth, and exhaled over the line, and she instantly felt ashamed. What had she done to him? What had she done to herself?

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, and Caroline listened to Tyler tapping softly-contemplatively-before he finally spoke.

"If we're being honest, I... might as well be open with you, Caroline," he started, and she waited for him to continue, though her heart was pounding out of her chest; what did he have to be honest about? "I... was with Rebekah, Caroline," he admitted, and Caroline cupped her palm over her mouth in shock as the words resonated through her head.

Her fingers shook, and her chest tightened as the line replayed over, and over, again, in her head.

"W-What? Tyler-"

"When she turned me on to the whole 'feeding on people who liked it' thing, we..." he trailed off, and Caroline bit her lip as she finished the confession in her mind, and fought the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "I'm sorry, and... I guess that I can't hate you for lying when I did the same thing."

It suddenly dawned on her- Rebekah hated her so much because she wanted Tyler- because she'd _been with Tyler._

She only wondered if Klaus knew, all along, kept this from her. Her head spun with the possibilities as she half-listened to Tyler explaining himself- giving her all the reasons why he'd done it, and she couldn't help but laugh.

Klaus was right, afterall; she was never the top thing on Tyler's list of priorities, and she never would be. Above all else, Tyler loved freedom, and she was starting to believe that his quest to be unsired from his bond had little to do with her, and more to do with the fact that he was independent, and he'd do anything to keep things that way.

Tyler could never make love to her, because he wasn't in love with her. She had no doubt that he did love her to some degree, but did he love her more than he loved freedom?

_Absolutely not._

"So, what you're telling me is I was here, Tyler, this entire time feeling so _guilty _about even having feelings for somebody else, when you slept with Rebekah, _months ago? _" she asked, with anger building in her voice. "You're kidding, right?"

"Caroline-"

"Goodbye, Tyler," she said meekly, before she hung up the phone, and let out a long exhale.

She and Tyler's "epic" love story had turned out to be nothing more than a seriously long, and overdrawn tall tale. Everything had finally come full circle; and it ended with nothing less than a slap in the face.

She should've listened to Damon, afterall.

But it didn't end there- now that things with Tyler were really over, and Klaus unsired him-what was next? Why did the Original do it?

_She had to find out._

She looked at the time on the clock on her night table- _2:14 A.M. _Fuck it. She was going to see him now, and all she could do was hope that, at two o'clock in the morning, he'd be more willing to talk to her.

Caroline immediately hopped out of bed, and grabbed her coat and her keys, never bothering to change out of her flannel pajama pants, or her oversized Mystic Falls High School t-shirt that she was dressed in.

He'd already seen her at her worst- on her deathbed- she had nothing to hide, now.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing here?" were the first words to cross his lips as he opened the door, and Caroline stared at him hopefully, though she could see the unhappiness in his eyes.<p>

He didn't want her here.

"I wanted to talk," she confessed, and he stared at her, stoically. "Can I come in?"

Klaus gazed into her eyes, reluctantly stepped aside, and gestured for her to enter his home, though he never verbally agreed to it. She figured he was trying to save himself at least one shred of dignity. Klaus locked the door behind her, and Caroline hesitantly walked into the living room.

"I have to ask... is Rebekah here?"

Klaus sat down in his seat, with a glass of rum in hand, and took a slow sip.

"She's out. I don't expect her anytime soon." Caroline breathed a sigh of relief as she paced before him, and she felt his eyes penetrating deeply into her. "What are we chatting about?"

Caroline pursed her lips and finally looked up at him; she ached for the warmth and compassion in his eyes that he had once had whenever she was around.

"I- I came to say thank you, for what you did for Tyler. You... didn't have to do that, but you did, and... I appreciate you letting him go. And... I wanted to say that I was sorry- so sorry about doing what I did..."she trailed off softly, and Klaus shrugged silently.

"If that's all, you can go now," he replied, blankly.

Caroline blinked silently and looked into his stone eyes- he wasn't budging.

"O-Okay. I'm just gonna..." she began, and she spun on her foot and headed back towards the door.

_Was he going to get her to leave, as easy as that?_

Caroline scoffed when her fingers touched the knob, and she turned back around to face him.

_Not a chance._

"Why did you do it?" she asked boldly, and Klaus remained silent. "Why did you let Tyler free, after I manipulated you, and used you, just to save my friends?"

There was a long wave of quiet between them, as he stared at her, and finally cleared his throat.

"I got bored with Tyler," he stated, and Caroline let out an incredulous laugh, as her blue eyes widened.

"You're lying," she shot back. "Why did you let him go?" she asked a bit more firmly, as she confidently stalked up to him, standing nearly two inches away from his face. "Tell me why you would do that, Klaus, unless you're too scared to give yourself up-"

He suddenly grabbed her by the wrists, and Caroline gasped as he pushed her against the wall, and glared at her, fury building with each stare.

Caroline stood there, shakily, though she did her best to hide her fear, and Klaus looked at her deeply, while his voice spoke darkly.

"Because you don't care about me, Caroline. You never did. Why hold him captive anymore, when I never had a chance, either way?" he huffed through his teeth.

Her eyes immediately softened.

"Klaus, I do-"

"You don't!" he yelled, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. "You don't," he repeated, in a low whisper. "And you proved that. It wouldn't phase you if I lived or perished," he spat, as he roughly let go of her wrists. "Go on, be with Tyler. You do it all for him anyway, don't you?" he muttered, as he backed away, and Caroline shook her head as he walked away from her.

His face, so completely broken, and his voice, unbearably stiff, made it feel as though her blood had ran dry. Watching him walk away was killing her- he had to know.

"I'm sorry I broke your heart," she said softly, and Klaus continued to walk. "I broke your heart, and you- you _love me. _You did all of this because you love me," Caroline added, and she watched as he stopped in his tracks. She let out a long sigh, as she tried to hold back her tears, though they flowed freely down her cheeks. "You've been running, Klaus, for years- from your Dad, from your humanity, from everything... are you willing to give it all up, and run away from love, too?" she asked.

Klaus turned around, and she saw the hint of emotion in his eyes- the emotion she longed for; the emotion she _craved _for. He didn't move, and Caroline moved in towards him. The minute she stood in front of him, she touched his face, and he let out a deep sigh.

"I didn't lie, Klaus, about wanting you-because I do," she whispered. "And if anybody asked me, right now, about who had my heart... I'd endure everything they had in store for me when I told them it was you."

She watched as he looked at the ground, then back into her eyes- his gorgeous indigo eyes shining against the faint light of the living room as he looked into hers.

"I'm no longer competing with Tyler, even though he's free to love you, once more?" he asked, and she shook her head lightly.

"Tyler... has other priorities," she said slowly, and Klaus bit his lip. "You... knew about him and Rebekah, didn't you?"

Klaus let out a defeated sigh before he nodded, confirming her obvious suspicions.

"I did, love, and please forgive me for not telling you. I just... hoped, all along, that you'd realize you were better than him. You knew you always were. You're greater than anything anyone can offer you."

Caroline shook her head, and sent him a soft smile.

"That's not true. You offered me life- I'd say nothing beats that."

She watched as a slow grin formed on his face, as she took his hand into hers, slowly stroking along his skin with her thumb.

"You're right," he agreed lightly, as he gazed into her eyes. "And while I don't think I can defeat that, please allow me the pleasure of trying," Klaus said, and before she could reply, his lips were pressed against hers.

Caroline sighed warmly against his mouth, as an influx of emotions began to build, within her; passion, want, desire, happiness, and love. Most importantly, _love._

His fingers tangled beneath her messy blonde curls, and he kissed her strongly- as if the world was ending-as if he'd never kiss her, again.

_No one had ever kissed her that way, before. _

The taste of his mouth, impeccably sweet against hers, left her feeling woozy when he pulled away for a second, to survey her expression; to test the waters of the intensity between them.

Caroline looked up into his eyes, and smiled, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and Klaus softly bit his lip.

"Is this real?" she asked gently, and he laughed gently.

"It is for me, love. Do you doubt me?" he asked, and Caroline pursed her lips into a smirk.

"I don't," she said, "But if it is... we have to set some ground rules," Caroline declared, and his brow rose, with a smirk.

"You're about to rattle off a list of rules to the thousand year old hybrid?" he laughed, and she grinned. "Are 'relationship terms' something that you kids made up in 2012?"

"Yes, I am, and yes, they are" she said brightly, and he smiled admirably. "Rule number one: I'm done with Tyler, but _please, _be civil. I... still care about him," she admitted, and he nodded.

"Fair enough, sweetheart."

"Rule number two: My friends- Bonnie, Elena, Stefan, Damon, Matt... no threatening them, using them, any of that stuff. If I'm gonna tell them about us, you need to be on your best behavior."

"Blah, blah, be nice to your drabby friends, blah-"

"Rule number three-" she interrupted. "Your sister, seriously? Can we just muzzle her?"

Klaus laughed whole-heartedly, and sighed.

"Good luck getting a muzzle anywhere near her," he noted, and she groaned. "However... I will get her to take it a bit easier on you. I promise," he added, and Caroline huffed happily. "But I have a rule, as well. Just one."

Caroline cocked her head curiously, and furrowed her brows.

"What is it?"

Klaus slowly ran his hands down to her sides, and she shivered as his fingers firmly pressed against her skin, and drew her in closer, towards him.

_She seriously wondered how one being could be so sexy._

"My rule for tonight, darling, is that you'll stay the night, in my arms where I can protect you, and allow me to make you breakfast in the morning, while you never lift a finger. I want to treat you like a Queen. _My Queen. _"

Caroline's heart melted at that; his one, romantic, thoughtful, and obviously breathtaking rule, as the direct order dripped from his words, and fell onto her ears.

_He wanted her to be a Queen- his Queen._

Caroline smiled bashfully, but cleared her throat confidently.

"A Queen? We kinda don't do that here, in America," she formulated. "Also- how can you be so sure I want to spend the whole night _and _morning, with you?" she flirted, and Klaus smiled as he gently pulled her in, even tighter, as she exhaled a sharp breath.

Her heart was pounding out of her chest.

Klaus placed his lips to her collar bone, and he kissed her skin, delicately, as she instantly gripped onto him even tighter, letting a soft moan emit from her lips. His mouth traveled to her ear, and her body tingled as his breath danced around her lobe.

"The time flies, quickly, when you're making love, sweetheart. Even when you do it nice and slow."

Caroline's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped, as Klaus lifted her into his strong arms, carrying her off to his bedroom, with her body wrapped around him, tight.

She had no objections, no arguments, and no words as he laid her down in his bed, and made good on his word to be everything that she'd hoped he could be, and all that she knew he would be.

He awakened her soul, and he made her feel love, for the very first time in all of her existence. It was astounding.

The only thing more that she could have asked for were those trips to discover the world, for all of it's art, music, and magic.

_He booked their flights to Paris, Rome, and Tokyo the very next day._

**A/N: The end! :) Let me know how you enjoyed the ride, and maybe I will write another Klaroline fic, soon! :) Also, I apologize for any typos/errors- I wanted to post this asap for you all. Edits coming soon. ;) Thanks for reading!**


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